


Exchanging Love

by jessjeexx



Category: The 100 (TV), The 100 (TV) RPF, The 100 Series - Kass Morgan
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Artist Clarke, Bellamy Has Feelings, Drama & Romance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Jealousy, Love, Love Triangles, Modern Setting Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin, Octavia Blake & Clarke Griffin are Best Friends, POV Bellamy, POV Clarke, Pining, Romantic Friendship, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Smut, Students, Teasing, True Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-26
Updated: 2018-03-27
Packaged: 2018-11-05 04:15:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 23,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11005761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jessjeexx/pseuds/jessjeexx
Summary: A modern setting fan-fic, Clarke comes and live with the Blakes as she's going to the same school they are. A lot of teasing and fluff, might throw a little smut in later. ;)





	1. The move-in

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! As this is my first fanfic, I would love feedback, comments or kudos! Got an idea for the story or some tips, tricks or wishes? Please let me know!
> 
> Chapter one, the move-in.

"Clarke, we have to leave NOW," my mom yelled from downstairs. "Just a second," I yelled back. "Let's see.. luggage, check. Clothes, good. Hair, a disaster. Make up, don't bother. Works for me," I mumbled to myself. "Clarke, I mean it! The plane won't wait and neither will I," my mom yelled. "I'm coming, hold your horses." I grabbed my luggage and ran down the stairs. I nearly fell down them, is a better description. Mom gave me a mad eye. Even with the mad glare, with her chestnut brown hair and deep brown eyes, she looked beautiful. She gave my hair a once-over and shook her head. "Overslept or just didn't care? What if you meet a nice boy?"

I gave her a sceptic look. "I'm going to stay at Octavia's for the summer. It might not be a good idea to really count on long term romance. I just want to have some fun before I become a teacher." "Clarke, stop being a pessimist for once and just loosen up. You might just find a nice boy or two," mom started but I gave her a look to shut her up. I had no intention of talking about my love life with my mother. My mother sighed. "I give up. Now get your butt in the car."

We drove to the airport and hurried towards customs. I quickly hugged my mom. "Be safe and call me as soon as you can. If you don't contact me within 24 hours our time, I'm coming over there to drag you home," she warned me. "Yes mom, I'll call you and dad as soon as I can. It's just Washington. I'll be fine. Just an hour away," I assured her. My mom sighed. "I know but still. I demand contact as often as possible." I rolled my eyes. "Yes, mother." "Good. Now go, before you miss your flight. I love you." "Love you too!" I yelled at her before quickly getting in line for customs.

**Three hours later**

I had finally gathered my luggage back from customs and was walking towards the waiting area. Octavia had texted me that she would pick me up in ten minutes, as traffic was impossible. I had met Octavia at summer camp when we were ten years old. I knew she had an older brother who was twenty-one, but I had never met him personally. She was going to turn eighteen this year and wanted me to join her in the summer, as we were both going to college in Washington. She wanted me to 'get accustomed' to my 'new home'.

"Claaaarkeeeee!" I turned around with a big smile and saw a pretty brunette running my way. "O, it's great to see you again," I exclaimed as she nearly knocked me over. We both hugged and she looked at me with a big grin. "Damn, you've grown some assets since last I saw you," she said a little too loud, making a couple nearby chuckle. "Come on, O, keep it down will you," I pleaded, blushing. "Sorry about that. But seriously though, you're hot! We're going to be reeling in the boys this summer," she laughed.

I rolled my eyes. "I don't do summer romances." "That's the best thing about it. We're going to a college in the same city so it doesn't have to end," Octavia said while grabbing a few bags as well. "What if I want to save myself for Arkadia? You may never know," I asked. She snorted. "You're going to study Art Education. Exactly what kind of people do you expect to meet there? I bet half of them own weed at home." I laughed.

"O, you're going to be a teacher. You can't say stuff like that." She rolled her eyes. "These are my rebellious years before settling down as a teacher with a handsome man who adores me." I laughed even harder. We finally reached the car and put my luggage in the car. "You don't have a lot of stuff, Clarke," Octavia mentioned. "No, I figured I would buy most of my art supplies here. Saves space in the luggage for more important things."

She smiled. "Damn right, we have to go shopping here anyway. Hey, tell you what, let's drop your stuff at our house and then we can go scout out the university. My brother already goes there, anyway, so you might be able to meet him there," Octavia suggested. I smiled. "Sounds like a plan."

Octavia drove us to a very big and expensive looking house. "O, are you sure you're in the right place?" I asked. She snorted. "I've lived here for ten years. How exactly could I be mistaken here?" "It's just so.. big! You never told me your parents came from money." "Well, they did. When they died, we found out just how much. We bought a few nice things for ourselves, including this house," she explained.

She got out of the car after ordering me to remain seated. She brought my luggage into the house and got back in the car. "Shouldn't we bring it to my room?" I asked. She smirked. "Don't worry about it. Next stop, Arkadia!"

We arrived at the university grounds. I sucked in a breath. It was enormous! The campus itself reminded me a bit of Harvard, it was that big. "Come on, let's go inside. My brother should be lurking around campus somewhere," Octavia said all excited and she grabbed my arm, pulling me along. We looked around at the lecture halls, the dining hall, the library and saved the courtyard for last.

The moment I stepped outside, I forgot how to function properly. There was a gorgeous guy leaning up against a tree, talking to some girl. He had a tan, the most beautiful black curls I have ever witnessed and brown eyes that reminded me of chocolate.

"Who is he?" I absentmindedly asked Octavia. She turned and looked. She rolled her eyes when she saw him. "That would be my brother, Bellamy. Looks like he's found another victim," she replied, looking back at me with a disgusted look on her face. "You and your brother don't get along?" "Oh that's not it, we get along just fine. It's just the whole manwhore thing I don't get."

I didn't reply. Seriously, with those looks, who could blame him? He whispered something in the girl's ear and she started to giggle loudly. I rolled my eyes. It couldn't have been _that_ funny. The girl gave me a dirty look and Bellamy followed her gaze.

The moment his eyes locked on mine, my breath caught. He really had beautiful brown eyes and they were boring into mine. He said something to the girl before walking over to us. "Hey O, who's your friend?" he asked Octavia. "This is Clarke, my best friend from summer camp. She's staying with us. I told you about her, remember?" Octavia replied. Bellamy smirked at me. _Oh lord, that smirk made me weak in the knees. The cute dimples when he smiled weren't exactly helping either._ He extended his hand.

"Hi, I'm Bellamy, Octavia's brother. Nice to meet you." I took it and shook it with a trembling hand. "Clarke." He chuckled. "Well I should get going, the guys want to hang out at the arcade. See you tonight," Bellamy said, throwing a wink my way. I felt my cheeks burn as he walked away. "My brother's pretty popular, but I think he abuses his power a bit too much. Anyway, what do you want to do now?" Octavia asked, turning to me.

"Let's go catch a movie. There's a new romantic comedy I've been wanting to see." "Sure! Let's get coffee on the way, I'm low on caffeine." I laughed. "Sure, my treat." We walked over to Octavia's favorite café and ordered our coffees to go. As I waited, I glanced around the shop. My eye caught at a girl with brown hair and dark brown eyes. She was observing me from her window seat.

I nudged Octavia. "O, who's that girl near the window? The one trying to stare a hole into me?" She looked over to the window and smiled. "That's just Raven, she's my friend. I told her my best friend was coming over. She always stares like that, it's nothing personal," she replied. We walked over to the window. When Raven met Octavia's gaze, she smiled. "Hey O, is this the best friend you were talking about?" she asked her. Octavia nodded. "Raven, this is my best friend Clarke. Clarke, meet my friend Raven." Raven extended her hand and I took it. "Nice to meet you, I've heard so much about you," she said with a smile. "Nice to meet you too."

"So, where are the two of you going?" Raven asked us. "We're going to that new romantic comedy. Would you like to join us?" I asked with a smile. Raven smiled. "Sure, that sounds great. Let me grab my stuff and I'll join you outside."

After the movie, we decided to grab take-out and eat at home. Octavia called Bellamy and said he agreed to eat take-out with us. "So, have you met Bellamy yet?" Raven asked me, while Octavia went to order the food. "Yes, I have actually. Just this afternoon." "He's gorgeous, isn't he? Terrible personality, but his looks fix that a little. Too bad he's awfully picky for a manwhore," she whispered. I eyed her cautiously. This was obviously a woman scorned. I wasn't going there. "Yeah, I guess you might see it that way. I wouldn't know, I just met the man."

She snorted. "Man? More like boy. That guy doesn't know how to act his age." I didn't reply. I wasn't getting in the middle of this drama. _Hurry up, O._ She seemed to have heard my thoughts, because she turned around and smiled at me through the shop window. She stuck up her fingers to indicate the wait time. Five minutes. I could survive five minutes of scorned Raven. Right?

She sighed. "Look, I'm sorry. I don't want to drag you into this. He rejected me and it pissed me off. That's not your fault, obviously. But I still like hanging out with Octavia, so he comes with the package," she said. "I understand." "So, you're staying with them, right? Have you ever been to their house?" Raven asked. "Yes, I have. We came there to drop off my stuff and I got a quick glance. I'm getting a tour later. It looks huge, though!" "Yeah it is. When their parents died, they inherited a lot of money. They got very lucky." "How's that lucky? Their parents died," I said. "Well, most people don't inherit a lot of money, now, do they?"

Octavia came out of the store and smiled at us both. "What are you guys talking about?" she asked. "About your mansion and how she's going to need a tour to get around," Raven smirked. Octavia laughed. "She's quite right. Let's get going," she said, as she walked over to her BMW.

Back at her house, I found out my stuff had been moved out of the hallway. "Ellie did that, she's our housekeeper. If you need anything or want anything, ask her or leave a note on your bedroom door. She'll find it," Octavia explained. "There you guys are, I'm starving. I already told Ellie not to cook tonight, but she insisted on setting the table," Bellamy said, coming out of one of the rooms I assumed was the living room. "Great! Let's go eat first and then we'll give Clarke a tour."

I joined them to the dining room and sat down. Bellamy took up a seat across from me and gave me my already favorite smirk. "Enjoyed your day?" he asked me. I nodded. "Yes, very much, thank you. Did you enjoy yours?" I asked back. "Yes I did, thank you." I filled my plate and soon we were having dinner. Bellamy kept 'accidentally' touching me and kept asking me questions. It was very offsetting to my concentration. When we got dessert, he decided to kick it up a notch.

"So, Clarke, how old are you, actually?" he asked slyly. "I'm 18, I will turn 19 in October," I replied. "And I'm only just turning 18, thank you for reminding me," Octavia murmured. I smiled at her. "We are going to throw you an amazing party in three weeks." "That's true," she said smiling. Suddenly, I felt a foot rubbing my own underneath the table. My eyes got wide and I eyed Bellamy. He held up his finger in front of his smirking mouth, urging me not to say anything.

"So, Clarke, what are you going to study after the summer? You're going to college here too, right?" Raven asked. "Yeah, that's right. I'm going to study art. I'm also going to stay at the dorms there," I replied with amazing concentration, considering Bellamy was trying to seduce me with his feet. "Nonsense, you can stay here with us. We've got plenty of room," Octavia said with a scowl, giving me no other option than to take up on the offer.

I rolled my eyes. "Fine, I'll stay, but I want to contribute. I don't want to leech off you for four years." "There's no need for that, but if you insist, there's a job opening at the café where you met Raven. They're looking for a new waitress," Octavia said smiling. I smiled. "Alright then, if you'll have me for that long." "Oh trust me, it won't be a problem having you that long," Bellamy said softly with a wink. I blushed. "Alright, well, thanks, I guess."

After dessert, Bellamy volunteered to give me a tour of the house. It turned out that they had a massive pool, a big garden and a game room. I might be needing a map around here. "And here's your room, right across from O's room and mine is just down the hall," Bellamy said, opening a door at the far end of the hallway. I gasped as I looked around. It was beautiful and awfully large. "You have your own bathroom, seeing as O didn't think you'd want to walk across the hall naked. But then again, she might be wrong," Bellamy said with a giant smirk and a wink.

My face felt like it was on fire. "Bellamy, I'm flattered but I'm not looking for a relationship right now." "Who said anything about that? Just because I flirt a little, doesn't mean I'm interested. But I get the hint, Princess. I'll leave you alone." He walked out of the room and shut the door behind him before I could respond. I ran my hands across my face. "Nice going, Clarke. Way to make friends," I mumbled to myself.


	2. Meeting the friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Clarke has officially moved in, she has to get a job. And has she ruined things with Bellamy completely? Only time will tell ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! As this is my first fanfic, I would love feedback, comments or kudos! Got an idea for the story or some tips, tricks or wishes? Please let me know!
> 
> Chapter two: Meeting the friends

The next day I went over to the coffee house. I told them I was looking for a job and they asked if I could start tomorrow, since they were very short on staff. I accepted and left the store with a smile and a cappuccino. I actually got hired on the spot. I was so proud of myself. I called my mother to tell her the good news.

"Oh honey, I'm so happy for you! But are you sure you've got the time for a job along with school?" "Yeah, I'll manage. I've already told them about that and I can work shifts when I don't have school or my internship. They were happy to have an extra hand, at least for the summer," I assured her. "Oh well, that's good then. I'm glad you can stay at Octavia's as well, it saves a lot of money and at least you won't be alone in the dorms."

I rolled my eyes. My mom's biggest fear. That I wouldn't make any friends. When I told her that I wanted to become an art educator instead of a doctor, she had nearly fainted. Both my parents are doctors and although I had quite a talent for it, according to them, I really wanted to give it a shot to make it as an artist. She reluctantly agreed on one condition; that I would enjoy a nice social life on campus.

"I'll be just fine, I'm not alone here." "I know, that's what's going to help me sleep at night," my mom replied. Her voice hinted a smile. I heard someone call my name. I turned around and saw Octavia and an annoyed Bellamy walking my way. Or well, Bellamy was being dragged my way.

"Mom, I got to go. I'll call you later. Tell dad I love you both," I quickly said. "Alright honey, I will. We love you too, bye." I hung up the phone and scowled. Why did Bellamy look so annoyed to see me? He sure went from hot to cold quickly.

"Hey Clarke, so? Were you hired?" Octavia asked all excited. "Yep, I sure was! I'm starting tomorrow," I replied with a big smile. "Good for you," Bellamy mumbled before walking over to someone he apparently knew. I frowned at him. "Who bit you in the ass?" Octavia rolled her eyes. "Don't mind him. Knowing him, he got his ego bruised by a girl."

I turned to look at him and cringed under his blazing eyes. "Looks like it," I mumbled. Apparently I bruised his ego quite bad, judging by the look he gave me. I wasn't very good at the whole making friends thing. I looked back at Octavia.

"So, seeing as you're going to be staying here, it might be a nice idea if we took you into our circle of friends. I invited them over tonight so you can get to know them," she said smiling. "That would be nice, I can't wait to meet them," I replied with a pasted-on smile. "Great! Let's go do some shopping in the mean time. I have to show you the shops." She grabbed a hold of my arm and started pulling me away. I threw a glance back over my shoulder to see Bellamy looking at us, his face unreadable.

Later that afternoon, we came home after some much needed shopping. Apparently, my wardrobe was 'inefficient', according to Octavia. I bought a nice dress for tonight, which she picked. I quickly took a shower and got ready. I just got the dress on and was fumbling with the zipper when I got a knock on my door.

"Come in." Bellamy walked in and my breath caught. I still didn't know how to act around him. He raised a brow. "What on earth are you doing?" he asked, seeing me fumble with the zipper. "What does it look like? I can't reach the damn zipper," I grunted. He chuckled. "Wait, I'll help you, Princess." He walked over to me and grabbed hold of the zipper.

His other hand touched my bare skin and that made me shiver. I heard his breath catch as he slowly closed the zipper, almost revering it. He kept his hands on my back and neither of us said anything.

He suddenly coughed and let go of me. "All done. Octavia was wondering if you were done and coming downstairs. Everyone is waiting for you," he quickly said and left the room. I released the breath I didn't knew I held in. He was making me so very nervous.

I composed myself and went down. Octavia whistled. "Damn, I knew that dress would work on you. Let me introduce everyone. Clarke, this is Jasper, Maya, Monty, Lincoln and you know Raven," she went around. I shook everyone's hand smiling before I sat down next to Octavia on the couch.

They asked me question after question. As I answered them, I noticed Bellamy never stopped looking at me. His expression was unreadable. What was he thinking? Why was he looking at me like that? He made it very clear that he had no interest in going after me. So why?

"Earth to Clarke, anyone home?" Jasper hollored. I jumped. "Huh what? Oh sorry, what were you saying?" Jasper laughed. "I was asking if you were interested in going up to the cabin with us this spring break." "Cabin? What cabin?" "Our parents used to own a cabin at Virginia Beach, private beach and everything. We go every year during spring break by car," Octavia explained.

I smiled. "That sounds wonderful, if you can get me the exact date, I can arrange it at work." Octavia smiled and gave me the dates on a post-it. I glanced at Bellamy and saw a smile playing around his mouth. I wondered why. He made it awfully clear that he wasn't very fond of me.

"You're going to love it there, Clarke. We have a private beach and everything. And our own house, of course," Octavia said. Although I still wondered how their parents got that wealthy, I didn't ask. They didn't talk a lot about their parents so I never pried. "It's settled then! Now, anyone up for a movie?" Monty asked. Everyone agreed with the movie, a horror movie. I actually didn't really like horror movies, they made me jump.

When a particular jump-scare came up, I shrieked and covered my eyes. Everyone laughed. "We should watch horror movies more often with you, Griffin," Raven said with a big smile. Everyone turned their attention back to the screen and I let out a heavy sigh. Suddenly a warm hand stroked mine softly. I looked down and saw Bellamy's hand covering mine. I looked up at him questioningly. 

"What are you.." I whispered but he put a finger on his lips, telling me to stay quiet. There was a softness in his eyes and I think he was trying to comfort me. I ignored the pounding of my heart and the fluttering in my stomach. _He already told you he just likes to flirt, don't read into it..._ But it was hard with his thumb stroking my hand to believe that.

Still, I had only just moved in and I wasn't going to push it. He held my hand throughout the entire movie. When it was done, I yawned. "I'm going to bed, I need to be early at work tomorrow. It was nice meeting you all, I hope to see you again very soon," I said with a smile as I stood up. "Good night!" they all yelled after me. 

I decided to take a quick shower before changing into my pajamas. When I got back out, I heard my phone buzz. I picked it up and saw a text message from an unknown number. "Good night, Princess. See you in my dreams. Xoxo, B." I let out the breath I didn't realize I kept in. I didn't reply, but I did save his number. For, you know, when there's an emergency.

**The next day**

It was so incredibly busy. I definitely underestimated this. Not that I didn't enjoy the work rush. I was just at a table when I heard someone call my name. "Oh Clarke, can we get some service over here?" I turned around and smiled when I saw Jasper and Maya smiling at me from a nearby table. "Be right there," I answered. I finished cleaning the table and walked over to them. "We didn't know you worked here," Jasper said. Maya elbowed him playfully. "Don't lie to her. Octavia said you worked here so we decided to come keep you company. Though it may not be the best timing," Maya said, looking around the busy shop.

I smiled at her. "No, I think it's very nice of you both! I love having company! What can I get you both?" They placed their order and continued chatting energetic as I walked away. "Clarke, I have an order pick-up in ten minutes. Would you like me to teach you how it's done?" my boss, Kane, asked me. I smiled. "I would love to. I'm going to finish this order and then I'll help you."

I finished the order and brought it to Jasper and Maya's table. They were holding hands and smiled broadly at me when I approached the table. "Thank you, Clarke. I had a question for you. Would you like to join us at my house for a barbecue this Saturday? Or do you have to work?" Maya asked. I smiled. "No, I'm free this weekend, seeing as I'm already working five days this week," I replied. "Great! If you give her your number, we can text you the address and even add you in our app group," Jasper said smiling. 

I gave Maya my number and quickly went to help Kane. We finished the order just in time when I heard the shop bell ring. "Good afternoon, welcome to Grounder's. Can I help..." I started, but I froze when I saw the customer. Bellamy was smirking broadly, while the girl he was with looked pretty bored. "I have an order ready if I'm not mistaken?" he asked. "Y-your order? Right! Let me get it for you," I mumbled and I nearly tripped while turning around.

The girl with him frowned. "What a clumsy waitress, why does she work here?" she asked Bellamy a little too loud. I gritted my teeth. Of course he would show up with such a girl. "Could you stop talking? Leave her alone, Gina," he spat at her. She hmpf'ed and walked out of the store. He gave me a reassuring smile. "Just ignore her. Thank you, keep the change," he said as he took the order from me and paid me way too much. He walked out of the store and ignored Gina, who trailed after him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't forget comments and/or kudos! I will update as often as I can!


	3. "What do you want?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellamy keeps sending signals to Clarke, or is that just in her head?
> 
> Meanwhile, Clarke and Octavia have a party to plan and a barbecue to attend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got inspired today, so I figured I'd upload another chapter today :) That doesn't mean that I will upload daily! It just happens that I got inspired :)
> 
> Don't forget to leave kudos and comments, they make my day and inspire me to keep going :)

"Clarke, I need your help!" Octavia yelled when I walked in that evening. "What with?" I asked, walking into the dining room. Octavia had pieces of paper scattered all over the dining table. "It's about my party. I'm going crazy thinking of a theme that works," she replied, hands in her hair.

I sat down and took a look at the sheets. "What about Las Vegas? You've got a game room with everything you need and we could hire a bartender?" I suggested. She looked at me with wide eyes. "Why didn't I think of that? Las Vegas it is! Brilliant!"

"Las Vegas? I'm in! When's the trip?" Bellamy asked, walking into the room with a big smirk. Octavia rolled her eyes. "Not the actual Las Vegas, dummy. The theme of my party is going to be Las Vegas," she said matter-of-factually. He raised an eyebrow.

"The two of you drinking? You sure that's a good idea?" Octavia scowled. "What's that supposed to mean?" I saw where this was going and I excused myself from the sibling squabble.

I quickly grabbed a plate and went to the living room. I sat down on the couch and turned the TV on. I ate some lasagna while watching Real Seattle Housewives. I was getting bored, but I still heard them squabbling in the kitchen.

After about ten minutes, it grew quiet in the kitchen. I walked towards the arched doorway and poked my head around the door. "Is it safe to enter?" I asked. I only saw Bellamy sitting at the table, staring at his phone.

"It's your house too, do what you want," he mumbled, not looking at me. "That bad?" I asked after putting my dish away in the dishwasher. He glared at me. "Could you just mind your own business?" "Well, sorry for asking," I mumbled and walked out of the kitchen.

I got a text from Octavia, asking to come to her room. I walked over to her door and knocked. "Come in." I opened the door. "I got a text?" I asked. She smiled. "Yeah, sit down," she said and gestured to the other side of her bed.

She was holding a notebook and was busy scribbling things on it. I sat down. "What is it?" I asked. "Well, I figured Bell won't bother us here. I wanted to continue planning the party. Thoughts?"

It took us a good two hours to plan the party. I yawned and Octavia smiled at me. "Go to bed, we'll continue this tomorrow." I nodded and stood up. When I exited the room, I bumped into Bellamy.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," I mumbled. He just smiled at me. "Don't worry about it. Good night, Princess," he said and he gave me a quick kiss on my cheek before walking towards his room. _That man goes from hot to cold in two seconds._ I sighed and went to my own room to shower and sleep.

The next few days were busy with work and planning Octavia's birthday. Bellamy was out of the house a lot, so there wasn't a lot of contact. He ignored me quite a bit, but I caught him looking at me quite a lot. That man was hard to read sometimes.

Saturday rolled around the corner. I slept in pretty late and stretched lazily. I decided to get breakfast in my pajamas before showering, feeling incredibly lazy. The house was quiet when I walked over to the kitchen.

I grabbed a bowl of yogurt with some fruit and coffee and sat down at the breakfast bar. I didn't notice anyone walking in. Suddenly I felt a warm breath on my neck. "Good morning, Princess," Bellamy whispered in my ear.

I shivered. "Morning," I mumbled back. He chuckled and grabbed coffee and some toast before sitting down next to me. "Bell, can I just ask you something?" I asked. "Sure." "What do you want?"

He smirked. "I want to become a historian, preferably in a museum. Maybe a dad later." I rolled my eyes. "You know damn well that's not what I mean." He came closer and put his mouth next to my ear.

"You'll just have to keep guessing because I told you, I just like to flirt," he whispered warm in my ear. I shivered and glared at him. He just smirked and finished his breakfast.

"Mornin'," Octavia yawned, still in her pajamas. "Good morning, O. You're up late," Bellamy said, not looking up from his phone. She blushed. "Yeah, well, we have a late barbecue today so I figured I'd catch some extra sleep." She was lying. She had been up late texting her crush, Lincoln. She sent me a text last night to tell me.

Bellamy didn't notice, or pretended not to notice, and smiled at her. "Well, alright then. Grab some breakfast." Octavia smiled and grabbed some yogurt and fruit and coffee as well before sitting down next to Bellamy.

I was done so I cleared away my dishes before getting showered and dressed in my swimwear, since we weren't expected at the barbecue until five and it was around one. I walked out of my room and headed straight for the pool in the garden after saying hello to Ellie, who was doing the laundry.

I put my towel on one of the pool chairs and dove into the water. When I came back up, I found Octavia smiling at me from one of the pool chairs. I swam over to the edge. "What are you smiling about?" I asked her. "Lincoln is coming to the barbecue tonight. I hope he makes a move. But I doubt he will with Bellamy being right there."

I laughed. "If he makes a move without the consent of your brother, I doubt he'd survive." She sighed. "I love Bellamy, really, I do, but he can be so difficult when it comes to boys. Lincoln has already gave me so many hints he likes me and I really like him, Clarke. But I don't want his career as a cop to end in the academy because my brother shot him."

I was laughing with tears when Bellamy stepped outside. "What's so funny, ladies?" he asked. "You are," I replied wheezing. He cocked an eyebrow. "Why's that?" "Don't mind her," Octavia replied, rolling her eyes. "Alright then," Bellamy shrugged and dove into the pool to swim laps.

 _Seriously, it's so not fair how hót that guy is._ His muscles straining against the skin on his back made my mouth water. I noticed Octavia staring at me, so I shook my head and smiled. "Boys..." She laughed. "Yep."

**Later that afternoon**

We arrived at Maya's house. She had a pretty big house, though not as big as the house I was currently living in. Octavia and Bellamy didn't bother ringing the bell, but walked towards the garden gate. Octavia opened it and gestured for me to follow her. We were greeted cheerfully.

"Welcome! Please, have a seat," Maya said cheerfully. Jasper and Monty were at the grill, discussing what it would take to make the perfect burger. I chuckled and sat down. "Want me to get you anything?" Bellamy asked. "A beer would be nice." He smiled. "Coming right up."

Lincoln eyed us and bent over to me. "Is Bellamy your boyfriend now?" he asked me. I flushed fifty shades of red. "No, we're just.. well, I don't know what we are. Roommates?" I replied. He chuckled. "Forget I asked then." Octavia sat down next to Lincoln. "What are you two talking about?" she asked, eyeing us curiously. He put his hand on her thigh under the table and smiled at her softly. "Nothing special. Just asking how she's getting used to Washington."

Octavia beamed at him and forgot the subject. Bellamy sat down next to me and handed me my beer before throwing a curious look in Octavia's direction. Suddenly, he put his hand on my thigh and squeezed hard. I suppressed a surprised yelp and bent towards him. "What's that for?" I whispered angrily. "It's that Lincoln fellow, he's touching my sister," he whispered back.

"So why are you pinching me?" I insisted. "So I won't punch him in the face." I rolled my eyes. "Just ignore them and let them be." He glared at me. "You knew about this?" I swallowed hard. "I might." He groaned. "Fine."

He still kept his hand on my thigh the rest of the evening. I decided to ignore it. He didn't mean anything by it, after all. He told me himself it was just to make sure he wouldn't do anything stupid.

The food was so incredibly good, I simply couldn't choose between Jasper's and Monty's burgers, much to their annoyance. When everyone was finished, we all helped with the cleaning. I volunteered to do the dishes while they picked a movie. Bellamy murmured something about helping me and started washing up. I grabbed a dish towel and we started in silence.

The tension was as thick as a knife. Suddenly, Bellamy splashed water at me, soaking my shirt. "What the hell, Bellamy?" He just laughed and I whipped him with my towel. "Don't do that!" I scolded him. That just made him laugh harder. "Come on, Princess, live a little," he said. I narrowed my eyes.

"You want me to live, yeah?" I asked just before splashing him with water. "Oh no, you didn't!" he exclaimed before getting his revenge. In minutes, the entire kitchen including us was soaked. Jasper walked in and gasped. "Seriously? Guys!"

We looked around and assessed the damage. I blushed. "Sorry, I'll clean it up," I murmured. "Yeah, Clarke, behave yourself. Look what you did," Bellamy said with a smirk. Jasper rolled his eyes as I glared at Bellamy. "Just clean this up before Maya freaks out," he said before leaving the kitchen.

We burst out laughing and quickly cleaned up. "Bellamy, can I ask you something?" I asked. "You just did." "Haha, very funny. No but seriously, why are you flirting with me so much? You told me you didn't like me like that anyway." He shrugged. "Like I said, I just like to flirt. But good point, I shouldn't lead you on like that. I'll try to behave."

He walked out of the kitchen, leaving me standing there, my mouth sagged open. I couldn't believe what he just said. This was still about just 'liking to flirt'? I didn't believe him. I sighed and walked towards the living room. I sat down as far away from Bellamy as I could, drawing a confused look from both Lincoln and Jasper, but they remained quiet as we watched the movie.

During the drive home, Bellamy grilled Octavia about Lincoln. She remained quiet about it, saying that he should just mind his own business and that if it would have been worth mentioning, she would have. He dropped the subject as we drove up to the house. They both quickly got out and stormed into the house.

I exited the car quietly and snuck to my room, while they were still arguing. I got dressed for bed and got into bed. But I couldn't sleep. Bellamy was driving me insane with this game. Maybe I should just give up on this guy. I sighed and closed my eyes, eventually drifting off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget those kudos and comments! Uploading chapter four as soon as possible! :)


	4. Octavia's Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time, Octavia's party is finally here! What will happen at this party? Read and find out ;)

**Two weeks later**

It was the Saturday of Octavia's party. Bellamy had been ignoring me for the past two weeks. I did the same, I was done with this game of his. I was going to focus on Octavia's party. I put on something simple and walked downstairs.

Octavia was giving Ellie instructions for the party that night, for the decorations and the snacks and drinks. "I got everything you requested, except for decorations. Both the DJ and bartender have been booked and confirmed for this evening. Don't worry, Miss Octavia," Ellie assured her with a smile. Octavia smiled. "Thank you. I will take care of the decorations, as long as you take care of the drinks and snacks." Ellie nodded. "Very well, Miss Octavia." Then she noticed me and smiled at me.

"Good morning, Miss Clarke. Is there anything I can do for you today?" I smiled at her. "Just the usual, nothing special. Thanks, Ellie." She nodded. "No problem, Miss Clarke. Consider it done." She excused herself and left to go do her duties. Octavia beamed at me.

"Ready for some decoration shopping?" I nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be. Let's go." We went shopping for hours and she ended up buying me a delicious lunch as her way of saying 'sorry for taking your afternoon'. We got a coffee to go and went back home to decorate the house.

After about two hours, I wiped my forehead and beamed proudly at the result. "It looks amazing, Clarke, thank you so much," Octavia said all giddy before hugging me tight. "You're welcome, O. This party is going to be amazing." "Damn straight it will be!"

Bellamy walked in the front door and looked around admiringly. "Nice work, ladies. Oh, by the way, O, do you mind if a few friends from school join the party tonight?" he asked Octavia. She shrugged. "Knock yourself out. As long as they behave themselves, of course." He smiled. "You have my word, sis." He walked to his own room, ignoring me as he walked by.

"Let's get dressed for tonight, the party's starting in two hours," Octavia said to me. I nodded and pasted on a smile. I walked over to my room and showered before getting dressed. I checked myself out in the mirror. I was dressed as a showgirl, just like Octavia, Raven and Maya. We decided to match our outfits last week. I looked amazing, if I might say so myself.

I looked at the clock. The people would be coming in ten minutes. I opened the door and stepped into the hallway, almost bumping into Bellamy. I was flabbergasted and I was pretty sure I was drooling. He cleared his throat. "Nice outfit, Griffin." "Thanks," I murmured, blushing. He was wearing a tuxedo himself. It looked incredible on him. "Not so bad yourself," I added. He smirked. "Thanks. See you later," he said before strutting off. I walked away towards the kitchen, where Octavia was instructing Ellie and the bartender, Anya.

Octavia whistled when she saw me. "Hello, gorgeous!" she exclaimed, twirling me around. I laughed. "Not too shabby yourself, beauty," I said with a wink. She smiled. "Think Lincoln will like it?" she whispered. "He'd be crazy not to. I think his eyes might actually pop from his skull when he sees you." Octavia giggled. "I hope so. I mean, he can keep his eyes, but it would be nice to be noticed like that." I smiled. "I can imagine."

The doorbell rang and Ellie hurried towards the door. "Here we go," Octavia said, all excited. The party was soon in full swing. There were people at the poker table, at the beer pong, just sitting on the couches talking or trying to hit on Anya at the bar. I amused myself with the girls, just dancing the night away.

"I'm awfully thirsty, be right back," I yelled over the music. The girls all nodded and I walked over to the bar. I ordered a drink and looked over towards Bellamy. He was talking with a few of his friends while pointing my way. I scowled and moved a bit closer. "Yeah, that's the clumsy new roommate I was talking about, she's all over me," he told a guy with slick hair. If I remembered correctly, his name was John, but they all called him Murphy.

I was boiling inside. How dare he say that about me? "She wants me so bad, it's embarrassing." This ends now. I walked over to Bellamy, who was still laughing with his friends. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" He smirked at me. "Sure." I walked him over to the nearest empty room and turned to him. I was steamed. "What's wrong with you? We're at Octavia's birthday party and all you're trying to do is make a fool out of me," I spat at him. He raised an annoyed eyebrow. "You're doing a pretty good job of that on your own, Princess." "Why would you say that to me? You're the one embarrassing me in front of your friends." He glared at me. "You're so sure of that, aren't you? You're so sure that I am the one who has a problem. Well guess what, I don't have time for your drama," Bellamy declared and he started walking away.

"What is your problem with me, anyway? You've been acting hot and cold since the day I got here. I've done nothing wrong," I yelled. He stopped walking, but didn't turn around. "Why do you insist on hurting and confusing me, again and again? Why, Bellamy?" He didn't answer me. "I can't believe you hate me," I whispered just loud enough for him to hear. "I don't hate you," Bellamy softly said. "Excuse me?" He turned around. "You heard me. I don't hate you." "Then why? Why do you keep doing this to me?"

Bellamy bit his lower lip, clearly hesitating to tell me his reason. My eyes started tearing up, but I refused to cry in front of him. "Fine then, don't tell me," I said and I started walking towards the door, past Bellamy. He grabbed my wrist, stopping me. I looked at him and saw conflict in his eyes. "I can't tell you. Not without complicating everything," he whispered. "What are you so afraid of?" He looked me straight in the eye. "I can't lose you. And if I give you my reason for my behavior, I'm convinced you'll run away from me and never look back."

He looked so wounded that I couldn't have stopped myself if I tried. I hugged him tight. He held me so tight I felt like my body was bruising. "I would never run from you," I whispered in his ear. He pulled back to look at me, still conflicted. Then, suddenly, he kissed me, hard. There was no doubt in his kiss, but it revealed so much more. I kissed him back, melting into his touch, trying to make him feel my feelings for him.

He stopped just as suddenly as he began and let go of me. "I'm sorry," he said and he walked out of the room. "Bellamy, wait!" I yelled, but he was gone. The tears I had tried to keep in ran down my face. He gave me a wonderful kiss and then he just walked away? I groaned in frustration and wiped my face. I took a few deep breaths and pasted my smile back on. If I ruined Octavia's birthday, she would never forgive me. I left the room and searched the living room for my best friend. I spotted Octavia at the beer pong table. She spotted me and waved me over.

I walked over to the table and hugged her. "You okay?" she whispered in my ear. "I will be," I whispered back. I let go of her and smiled. "So, who's winning?" I asked. She grinned. "Yours truly, Finn here is a lousy player." I chuckled and turned towards Finn. He smiled at me and extended his hand. "I'm not sure if I introduced myself properly. My name's Finn. I'm a second year student at Arkadia." I took his hand and shook it. "Clarke, nice to meet you." "So, are you going to play?" Octavia asked me. "I don't know, I'm not really good at this," I hesitated. "Aww, come on. Finn's just as terrible. Might be fun to watch." I rolled my eyes. "Fine, I'll play," I said and I stepped in her place at the table. I grabbed the ping pong ball and tried to aim. I threw the ball and missed. "Damn it," I muttered. Finn grinned. "My turn." He aimed and actually threw the ball in one of my cups. "Yes! Drink away, my lady," he said with a grin. I took the cup, took the ball out and drank the brew. It tasted terrible. "My turn," I mumbled after putting the cup down. I didn't bother aiming but just threw the ball. I actually threw it in one of his cups.

I cheered loudly and grinned. "Drink away, good sir." Finn simply grinned at me and drank from the cup. Raven joined us at the table. "Never took you for a beer pong kind of person, Clarke," she said, smiling at me. "Well, I continue to surprise," I said, grinning. She chuckled. "That you certainly do. Enjoying yourself?" I nodded and smiled. "I'm having a great time." I heard a faint, wet pop. "Time to drink, sweetheart," Finn said with a huge grin. I rolled my eyes and quickly chucked the beer. I felt eyes on me and scanned the room. I saw Bellamy observing me from one of the tables. I looked away blushing. "Hey, why the red face?" Olivia asked, starting to turn around to see what or who I was looking at. "Just the alcohol, O," I quickly said. She laughed and turned back to me. "Maybe this isn't a very good game for you then."

I smirked. "Maybe, maybe not." Raven stood next to me. "Can I play for a little while?" she asked me. "Sure, why not? I need a break anyway." I glanced over at Bellamy and my heart sunk. He was talking with another girl, who was sitting on his lap. I gritted my teeth. He was playing with me and I let him. Well, not anymore. I stood next to Finn and started to flirt with him. Or rather, I tried to flirt but I was failing horribly. I twirled my hair around my finger and managed to get stuck in my hair. I tried to touch him casually, but ended up nearly knocking him over.

Finn just laughed about it. "What are you doing, Clarke?" he asked with a smile. "I don't really know, myself," I admitted with a blush. "Would you like to get a cup of coffee with me?" he asked. I cocked an eyebrow. "What, now?" He laughed. "No, not now. Next Wednesday?" I smiled. "Sure, I'd like that." I gave him my number and turned around to get myself something to eat. I saw Bellamy glaring at me, but I pretended not to notice. I was not playing this game.

I went to the kitchen and grabbed myself a sandwich. I sat down at the breakfast bar and Octavia walked in. "Hungry?" "Famished," I answered with a mouth full. She laughed and sat down next to me. "Did Finn just ask you out?" she pried. I smiled. "Yeah, he asked me out for coffee this Wednesday. I said yes, he seems like a fun guy." I was not going to let Bellamy ruin this. I was just going to go on a fun date, taking my mind off him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't forget comments and kudos! They give me the drive I need for future chapters!  
> Just because I had inspiration, that doesn't mean I will update daily. I will update when I'm done, simple as that :)
> 
> Kudos and comments aren't just for people with an account! Leave them as often as you can!


	5. The Disaster Called Dating

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for Clarke's first date with Finn! How will that go? :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While reading again, I noticed a little error and corrected it. In the previous chapter, Finn said he knew Bellamy but I somehow messed up my timeline. So, Finn meets Bellamy now. Sorry about the confusion!

On Wednesday morning, I woke up feeling very nervous. Tonight would be my first date with Finn. I already had my dress ready and I would meet him at my work around twelve o'clock. That gave me about two hours to get ready.

I got up and took a shower. An hour later, I was ready and pleased with how I looked. I walked over to the kitchen and rolled my eyes at the sight. Bellamy was in the kitchen with his 'girlfriend', Bree. They met at Octavia's party and were pretty much plastered together ever since. They were kissing, if you can call trying to eat someone's face that.

"Could you please do that somewhere else? People eat here," I spat at them. They pulled away. Bree had the decency to blush, Bellamy just scowled at me. "I can still recall this is my house and I can do whatever I please here," he spat back at me. I rolled my eyes. "Whatever, I'll eat my breakfast outside."

I grabbed my stuff and started walking towards the sliding doors. "Ignore her," I heard Bellamy murmur to Bree before the suction noises continued. I rolled my eyes and ignored the pain in my chest.

After breakfast, I left for the café. Finn was waiting for me at one of the tables near the window. He smiled at me and stood up as I approached the table. "Right on time, I'm impressed," he said. I smiled. "I didn't want to keep you waiting."

He pulled out my chair and I sat down. He sat down across from me and waved a waitress over. Alie was an older waitress, but always very kind to me. She greeted me and took our order. "You work here?" Finn asked after Alie left. I nodded. "Yes I do, but only for a month or so."

"How can I never have noticed you here? I come here at least once a week." I smiled. "Maybe you just didn't look hard enough." He laughed at that and we continued with our conversation. We had gotten to know each other a lot better by the time our order came and I was actually enjoying myself.

"Having fun here?" Oh no.. I knew that voice. Bellamy had walked up to our table with a big smirk on his face. My favorite smirk, to annoy me, I'm sure. Finn gave me a weird look before giving Bellamy a smile and a hand. "Finn, nice to meet you. I'm Clarke's date," he stated. Bellamy shook his hand. "Bellamy, Clarke's 'friend'." He deliberately made 'friend' sound questionable. If the floor were to suddenly disappear, I would be grateful for it. "I see. Anything we can help you with?" Finn asked, still polite, though with a furrowed brow.

"Actually, I was hoping Clarke could help me with something. Can I borrow her for just a second?" Bellamy asked with a sweet smile. "Uh, yeah, I guess, if she's okay with it." I glared at Bellamy and excused myself from the table. He walked us out of hearing distance. "What is your problem, Bell? Can't you see I'm on a date?" He snorted and smirked. He really had to stop smirking that way. "You can't be serious. Collins is the most boring kid in school." "At least he knows what he wants," I threw at him. He glared at me. "Oh I know what I want. And I'm going to get it. Because pretty boy over there will have you bored in a week," he said, while sarcastically smiling and waving at Finn. Finn pulled up his eyebrow.

"If you're so sure about what you want, then why did you let it go in the first place?" I asked. Bellamy looked at me. "Do you want me to go after what I want right now? I thought you were enjoying your date." I groaned. "Bell, please, stop doing this to me. You had me at your feet and you walked away. You have a girlfriend to get to and I'm on a date. So if you'll excuse me," I said and turned to walk away, but Bellamy grabbed hold of my wrist. I looked him in his blazing eyes. "This isn't over, Princess. Two can play this game," he stated, then released me and left.

I released a ragged sigh. I believed him. I walked back over to the table and put on what I hoped was a smile. "Sorry about that," I said as I sat down. Finn smiled at me. "That's alright. Everything okay?" "For now, yes." "Good, because I've been meaning to ask you something," Finn said, fidgeting with the table cloth. "And what might that be?" "Well, I know this is only our first date, but I wanted to ask you to come with me to the movies tomorrow. Your choice of movie," he said, grinning. I smiled. "I would love to," I replied. He smiled. "Good. I'll pick you up at seven."

**The next evening**

I was getting ready with the door open. I heard a huff and turned towards my door. "Please don't tell me you're not going on another date with that dork," Bellamy said with a quirked eyebrow, leaning against the door frame. I crossed my arms over my chest and scowled at him. "What's it to you?" He came into my room and stood just an inch in front of me.

I could smell his delicious scent and it took all my willpower to remain where I was. "I already told you, Princess, I'm not giving up on you." I took a step back with great effort. "That's nice and all, but you have a girlfriend," I spat at him. "You can't have both, Bell."

He narrowed his eyes. "I could dump Bree in a heartbeat if you said yes to me," he said. My heart started to pound in my chest. "I don't believe you. I'm not playing this game," I stated and left the room. "This isn't over, Clarke," he yelled after me.

I quickly left the house and saw Finn waiting for me next to his car. He smiled broadly at me. "Hey, you. Ready for a night out?" he asked, holding the door open for me. I smiled at him and got in the car. "I am, thank you for inviting me." He got around the car and stepped in. He grabbed my hand and kissed it.

"Of course, I love your company." He started the car and drove us to the movie theater. We got out and approached the counter. "What do you want to watch? It's your choice today," Finn said. I smiled at him. I picked a fantasy movie, it seemed like a neutral start.

We got our snacks and walked over to the screen room. We sat down and started talking about our school, our hobbies and everything else that came to mind until the lights went out. I didn't even notice the person sitting down next to me until he put a hand on my thigh.

I snapped my head around and my eyes grew large. "What are you doing here?" I insisted. Bellamy just grinned at me. "Bree wanted to come here, she's in the bathroom. Hey Finn," he said, waving at Finn. Finn waved back uncertain. I shoved his hand off my thigh. "I'm on a date, leave me alone."

"It's a public place, sweetheart. But do enjoy your date, I'll be sure to enjoy mine," Bellamy said with a smirk and focused back on Bree, who just sat down after waving at me. I sighed and turned to Finn. "I'm so sorry about this, I didn't know anything about it," I explained.

He smiled at me and grabbed my hand. "Don't worry about it. Let's just enjoy our time together," he said and he kissed my hand, but didn't let go. I looked back to the screen. Halfway through the movie, Bellamy had gotten a hold of my fingers, keeping them loosely interlaced. I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy our little teasing game. But I wasn't about to admit that to him.

I sighed. How was I going to fix this? I told myself this afternoon that I needed to let go of Bellamy, to stop playing his games, to give Finn a chance. And here I was, holding hands with Finn while also holding fingers with Bellamy, who was on a date with his girlfriend.

I glanced over. He wasn't touching her, but she had her hand loosely in his thigh. That made me angrier than I thought it would. I focused back on the screen and let go of both Finn and Bellamy before crossing my arms and huffing annoyed.

Finn raised an eyebrow at me, but didn't ask. Bellamy just smirked. After the movie, I quickly hurried out of the theater with Finn. "What did you think of the movie?" he asked with a smile. "It was good, what did you think?" I replied with a small voice. He laughed. "I have to admit it was hard to keep watching the movie when I have a beautiful date," he said slyly.

I smiled at him. "Did you just call me beautiful?" He grinned. "Guess I did." We walked over to his car and he held the door open. "My lady?" he joked. I grinned and got in. "Why thank you, good sir." He drove me back home and walked me over to the door. "I would like to take you out to dinner sometime next week, Clarke, if that's alright with you," Finn asked.

I turned around and smiled. "I would like that. Friday sound good?" He smiled. "Perfect." He leaned in and gave me a kiss on the cheek. Thinking I could do better, I grabbed his shirt collar and pushed my lips to his. I melted into his kiss and it ended all too soon when we had to catch our breaths.

"Now that is what I call a perfect ending to a perfect date. Good night, beautiful," Finn said with a grin before walking back to his car. I smiled and waved at him before stepping through the door.

Bellamy came in almost right after me. "Did I just see you kiss Collins?" he asked with disbelief. "Yeah, what about it? I'm single, I can do as I please," I said back with nonchalance. He grabbed my shoulders and spun me around to face him, his eyes blazing. "Don't play this game with me, Princess," he whispered.

"I'm not the one playing games, Bell. Go back to your pet. Goodnight," I said and I turned on my heels as I left him standing there. When I reached my room, I closed the door and leaned against it, sighing heavily. I was going to give Finn the chance he deserved. He was being a perfect gentleman up till now and I wasn't going to give up that easily. But I feared neither would Bellamy. I sighed again and went to bed, utterly drained from the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment and leave kudos, the author needs validation!
> 
> Got ideas for the story? Please share them with me, I will take them serious! :)


	6. Starting School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for Clarke's first day of school! How will that go? :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a bit of a boring chapter, but I do need fillers haha!

"Well, what do you think?" I asked Octavia, twirling around in my 'first day of school' outfit. She smiled broadly. "Perfect, now how about mine?" "Same answer, beauty!" We were making sure we had all of our school stuff in order. We went shopping for supplies last week and our books came in yesterday. We were ready to tackle this first day of school.

My phone buzzed and I picked it up. I read Finn's text message with a smile.

**_Decided on your first day of school outfit? ;) X_**

I quickly typed back.

**_Yes, I finally decided on it!_**

**_A picture would be nice, makes the visual complete ;)_**

I chuckled and typed back.

**_You get to see it at school tomorrow._**

**_No fair! You can't see it right now, but I'm pouting. Pretty please?_**

**_Nope! I'm making you wait!_**

**_:( <\- See this? This is a pouty face! You made me do this!_**

**_I'm not going to talk to you anymore if you keep acting like you're five! :P_**

**_Fine! I'll stop pouting! See you tomorrow, beautiful! X_**

**_See you tomorrow! X_**

"So, things between you and Finn are good, huh?" Octavia asked with a grin. I smiled at her. "Yeah, he's real nice and attentive to me. It's a nice change," I said, muttering the last one. "What was that last bit? A nice change? From who?" Octavia asked with a scowl. Crap. "Froooom all the other boys our age you usually find," I quickly said.

Octavia sighed dreamily. "That's why I like Lincoln so much, he's three years older than me, so way more mature, obviously." I laughed. "Sure, I'm sure that's the main reason you're pining after him," I teased her. She glared at me. "Do you want a description or was that comment simply meant to annoy me?"

I held up my hands in defense. "Please, no list, I'll stop!" She laughed. "I thought so. So, question, what are you getting Bell for his birthday?" "That's two months away, O. Why would I be busy with that right now? And with Bellamy, for that matter?" I asked her.

I was avoiding and ignoring Bellamy as much as I could. If I didn't, I was sure he would break my willpower. He texted me a lot, tried to talk to me about my current relationship status with Finn (which was gradually becoming more serious). He was persistent, I gave him that. His _girlfriend_ , however, was still ever-present and annoying the crap out of me.

"I'll be right back, O, just getting us something to drink," I said to Octavia and I stepped out into the hallway. "Yes, Bell, right _there_!" I stopped dead in my tracks and eyed Bellamy's door. The obscene sounds coming from the door made me cringe. I quickly paced to the kitchen, got the drinks and waited a few minutes. I walked back into the corridor the second Bellamy stepped out of his bedroom with a wide smirk.

"Enjoying the show, are we, my perverted Princess?" he asked. I rolled my eyes. "Hardly. If that's your best performance, I would've asked for my money back," I simply said before walking towards my bedroom. Bellamy's jaw dropped a quick second before he regained himself and he went back to his own bedroom, throwing the door shut.

I grinned at that. "What's so funny?" Octavia asked with a furrowed brow as I handed her a drink. "Your brother can't take a joke about his sex life. My god, they're loud." Octavia rolled her eyes. "Tell me about it, sometimes they start in the middle of the night. I don't get why he wants to date a girl who sounds like a dying alley cat when they have sex." I doubled over in laughter for a good five minutes before wiping my eyes and regaining myself.

My phone buzzed again. It was Raven.

**_Hey Clarke, are you interested in a nice 'first day of school' lunch tomorrow? I know a nice place! I'm asking Octavia too! :)_**

I showed Octavia the text message and she smiled. "Sounds good, I'm in!" I quickly typed back.

**_No need to text her, she's standing next to me. We're there! 12:30 at the front entrance?_**

**_It's a date! Good luck tomorrow ;)_**

I smiled. I was glad Raven was warming up to me. I don't know why, but she seemed to be holding a slight grudge against me since the party. I decided to forget about it and continued to pack my stuff.

**The next day**

My alarm went off at 7:00 AM. I quickly showered and got dressed, it was orientation day. I ate breakfast, got a cup of coffee to go and my bag and hurried to Octavia's car. Bellamy ran past me, yelling "Shotgun!", making me groan in response as I got in the back seat.

When we arrived at school, a very, _very_ perky girl ran up to us. "Hey there, you new here? My name is Heather and I will be your guide for today! What's your major?" she asked me and Octavia. Bellamy had run off the second she approached us. "Hi, I'm Octavia. My major is teaching and Clarke's major is Art Education," Octavia said with a raised eyebrow. Clarke chuckled to herself. O didn't quite like too-peppy girls.

"Nice to meet you both! Art Ed isn't my cup of tea, but the girl over there, Bree, can help you with that. Octavia, you can come with me, I'll show you to your group," Heather said, pulling Octavia with her. _Heather would be perfect for Monty, way too cheerful._ I groaned out of annoyance and walked over to Bree.

She smiled at her, making me hate her a little bit more. "Hey Clarke, did Heather send you to me? Where can I direct you to?" she asked nicely. _Why can't you just let me hate you?_ "I'm Art Ed. Which way do I go?" I asked. She pointed to the building to her right. "Art Ed is that way. I'll walk you." _Greeeeaaaaat._

I followed Bree into the building and she asked me for my classroom number. She dropped me off at the door and waved goodbye. When I opened the door, I bumped into a very familiar girl. "Ouch! What's wrong with you?" Gina asked before giving me a good once-over. She grinned in a nasty way.

"If it isn't the sloppy waitress. Seems like you really are clumsy in every other aspect of your life. Goodbye, Sloppy," she said before walking away laughing. I sighed. That could've gone better. Or worse. I entered the classroom and got a seat near the window. There weren't a lot of students here yet, so I decided to wait with introductions. It's started to look like the day would be very interesting.

Lunchtime didn't come soon enough. I did like the kids in my class, but I ran into Bree and Bellamy about three times walking through the school. I went towards the entrance of the school and almost immediately two hands covered my eyes. "Guess who?" I laughed. "Finn, you idiot, let go," I said. Finn lowered his hands, turned me around and grinned at me. He eyed my outfit. "I like it! Too bad I had to wait this long to see it," he said with a fake pout. I rolled my eyes.

"Don't be so dramatic." He laughed at that and gave me a soft kiss. "Who are you waiting for?" he asked. "I'm going to lunch with Raven and Octavia. You want to join?" I asked. "No thanks, I already have plans. Maybe some other time," he murmured as he looked over my shoulder. I looked behind me and saw Octavia waving to me, Raven next to her scowling at.. Finn? Weird. "I have to go, I'll see you later," Finn said. He kissed my cheek and left quickly. That was weird.

We went to lunch at a quirky little Italian place just outside of campus. The place was packed, but the food was worth it. Raven didn't say anything about Finn and I didn't ask. Maybe they knew each other and disliked one another. They didn't say anything at the party, though. I decided to ignore it and just have a nice time. The rest of the day went by fairly quickly and I couldn't wait until the actual school day tomorrow.

The rest of the week went by in a flash. I loved my classes, my lunches with the girls and Finn and didn't run into Bellamy, Bree or Gina all week at school. I had a late shift at work tonight, so I was getting ready around 3:00 PM. I put my hair up, dressed nicely and put my flats on. I didn't have to work until 4:00 PM, so I decided to get a quick cup of coffee and a sandwich.

I nearly skipped to the kitchen and greeted Ellie cheerfully as I came by the laundry room. I made my sandwich, grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down at the breakfast bar, just enjoying my alone-time. That didn't last very long, obviously. Bellamy walked into the kitchen, smirking my favorite smirk. "Hey Princess, do you have to work tonight?" he asked. "Obviously," I murmured back.

He sat down next to me and raised an eyebrow. "No need to be cold, Ice Princess. Did I do something wrong?" "Besides asking an _obvious_ question, not really," I answered with a smirk. He scowled at me. "Don't do that." "Do what?" "Pretend to be mad when you're not. Why do girls do that shit? Do you get paid to do that? Is it genetic? Did all of you decided that would be funny or something?" I laughed at his annoyance. "We'll never tell," I answered and put my dishes in the sink. I waved him goodbye and left for work.

The place was absolutely packed. I was nearly running the entire time. "Good night for tips," Allie said to me with a grin. I puffed. "Yeah, it is, but my goodness, it's crowded." Allie looked over to a window seat in my section. "Looks like you're up, new people just sat down." I walked over there and looked at my notebook. "Welcome to Grounder's, what can I get you?" I asked cheerfully.

"You can get us a new waitress, Sloppy," a familiar voice said and I froze. I looked up and locked eyes with Gina. She was grinning from ear to ear. Her date (I assumed) had the decency not to look at me, but he didn't correct her either. I placed my hands on my hips and scowled, I was done with this. "Really, Gina? Just order, please."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Get me a new waitress or get your boss, it's your choice," she said loud enough to turn heads. I felt my face burn up. "What seems to be the problem?" I heard behind me. Kane stood next to me and smiled politely at Gina. Only if you knew where to look, could you notice the vein in his neck pulsing, a clear sign of annoyance. Gina beamed, obviously thinking she got her way.

"I refuse to be helped by this clumsy waitress. I demand to get service by another," she said with a nasty smile. "Well, Clarke here is actually one of my best waitresses. I don't see any reason why she would have to help someone like you. Please leave," Kane said with that same polite smile, but a warning could be heard in his voice. Gina huffed and cleared from the store, her date following quickly.

Kane genuinely smiled at me. "You alright? That was highly uncalled for," he said. I smiled at him. "I'm fine, thanks for that." He put a hand on my shoulder and squeezed softly. "Don't mention it," he said before walking away. I went back to work and earned about 30 dollars in tips alone. It was a good night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment and leave kudos! I need the validation, lol!


	7. Bellamy's Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for Bellamy's birthday party! Will sparks fly or will romance die?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so, so, so sorry this took so long! My fiancé and I just got a new house (yay!) and we're really busy with the renovations! I've started working on chapter eight so I'm going to make this up to you guys by posting another chapter this week! Again, so sorry! Please enjoy and let me know what you think!

I woke up with a big sigh. Today was the day of Bellamy's birthday. His _girlfriend_ Bree was coming as well. Those two really made my stomach churn. Ever since Octavia's party, Bellamy was constantly followed around by Bree. He was also showing her off a lot, trying to make me jealous. I guess I could've seen it coming.

I know I was supposed to ignore it, seeing as I'm with Finn, but it was hard. It was hard to let go of Bellamy, no matter how awful he treated me. _Oh well, nothing I can do about it now._ I got up and took a quick shower. Then I put on a nice dress, braided my hair and walked towards the kitchen. Bellamy was sitting at the breakfast bar alone. That was unusual.

"Good morning, where's your pet?" I asked casually, walking towards the fridge. He chuckled. "Bree's at home," he replied, sipping his coffee. I looked at him with a cocked eyebrow. "Is that safe? Is she housebroken?" Bellamy shook his head with a smirk. "Jealous, are we? Talking about housebroken, where's Finny boy?"

"Finn's at home. He's not as attached to me as Bree's to you," I spat at him. He cocked an eyebrow in amusement. "It appears so." I rolled my eyes and sat down next to him. He bent towards me and whispered in my ear; "If you're still in for a little adventure, I'm in, Princess." I shivered and scowled at him. "We're both taken, live with it."

He laughed as he sat back upright. "If you say so." I ignored his comment and ate my breakfast. Octavia walked in with a dreamy smile. Bellamy cocked his eyebrow. "What's with you?" he asked. She blushed. "Nothing, big brother," she mumbled. I smirked knowingly. Lincoln had kissed her last night after a 'secret' date. He was also invited to our spring break vacation and she was looking forward to that time with him. Bellamy had seemed to accept him, for now.

Bree, Finn and Raven couldn't come with us, seeing as they already had plans or had to work. I didn't really mind that Bree couldn't make it, her clingyness sickened me. I ignored my other thoughts of how to get away with secretly shipping her across the ocean and focused on Octavia instead. "How late is the party starting?" I asked her. "Around eight," she mumbled back, focusing on her phone.

Bellamy stretched and looked at us. "Would you girls mind helping me decorate this afternoon? I asked Ellie for the food and drinks, so that's taken care of," he asked. "Sure," Octavia replied. I shrugged. "Sure, if you want." He smirked at me when Octavia wasn't looking. "Oh, I want you to," he murmured. I rolled my eyes and left the kitchen, planning to catch up on my essay before I would be too hungover tomorrow to work on it.

Later that afternoon, when I was finally satisfied with another six pages of my essay, we started decorating the place. It took us about an hour to decorate everything, Bellamy kept it way more subtle than Octavia had. Of course, Bellamy was turning 22, so it wasn't a 'big' birthday like Octavia's had been. My birthday wasn't until next year, so we still had a bit of time for that.

I checked the time on my phone. 5:30 PM. I still had enough time to eat and get dressed. Bellamy ordered pizza while Octavia and I got dressed. I knew we were going to be dancing, so I chose a navy blue dress that hugged my curves just right. I let my hair fall in curly waves and put on a bit of make-up. The doorbell rang half an hour later and we dove in, suddenly starving.

I pretended not to notice Bellamy's secrete glances or the incredibly handsome way he was dressed or the amazing way he smelled... _Clarke, STOP! This is NOT okay!_ I focused on eating my pizza without getting myself dirty. I survived dinner without casualties. And then the doorbell rang. Bellamy got up to open it and I could already hear who it was.

"Bellie! You look amazing!" Bree exclaimed loudly before kissing him, if you could call licking his face that. Octavia and I shuddered. "I'm going to call Lincoln and ask if he can bring more wine. We'll need it," she mumbled and left the kitchen. I followed her quickly and hid in my room until the party started. This was going to be a long night.

**Later on**

I was already quite drunk. Finn hadn't shown up to the party. He sent me a text saying he was very sorry but there was an emergency at his internship and he couldn't leave. So now I was stuck looking at Bree being all over Bellamy. Bitch.

Octavia approached me with a sigh. "Lincoln just left, he had to get up early tomorrow. Where's Finn?" she asked. "There was an 'emergency'," I slurred, using air quotes. She chuckled. "Figures. You wanna dance?" I smiled. "Sure, just let me get up." I got up, staggering a little, but managing.

We went to the dance floor and I lost myself to the music. Somewhere during the third song, someone handed me a drink. I didn't think and just took it. I drank it quickly and handed the glass back, not even bothering to see who I handed it to. Then the room started spinning really fast. "What the.." I mumbled.

Before I could collapse, a pair of strong arms caught me. "I got you, Princess. Time for you to go to bed," Bellamy murmured as he scooped me up in his arms and carried me to my room. I looked at him as we walked into the silence of my room. "Bell, why did you help me?" I asked.

He scowled at me. "I saw you collapsing. What were you thinking, just taking a drink from a random person?" He was angry. Very angry. I cringed under his stare. "Please don't hate me," I whispered. He sighed in defeat. "I don't hate you, Clarke. We've been over this." "Then why do you insist on breaking my heart?" I whispered.

His look was pained. He didn't reply. He put me down on my bed and pulled the covers over me. He pressed a kiss to my temple. "Just go to sleep, Clarke. Let it go." I sniffed but didn't say anything. He pet my hair softly before turning around and leaving. I fell asleep within seconds.

**The next morning**

I woke up with the biggest headache known to man. I groaned when I opened my eyes. I looked at my nightstand and saw a bottle of water, a glass of orange juice and two aspirins, along with a note. 'Eat and drink me, I'm magic. B.' I chuckled, groaned at the pain that caused, and took the aspirins.

I took a long, hot shower and pulled my sweats on. I felt a lot better already and I walked towards the kitchen. "Good morning, Princess," Bellamy greeted me. "How's your head?" I groaned. "It feels like someone hit me with a sledgehammer. But it's still attached, so I think that's a good thing," I replied, grabbing a cup of coffee and some toast.

He chuckled. "Eat something, it'll help." I sat down next to him. "Last night is a blur. Thank you for the care package on my nightstand," I said, smiling at him. He smiled back. "You're welcome. Someone spiked your drink, I'm afraid." I frowned. "Now why would they do that? I didn't say or do anything embarrassing, did I?" I asked.

He gave me a weak smile. "No, you just kept going on and on about Finn being a jerk for not being at the party. You forgot to wish me a proper happy birthday though," he said softly, leaning in. "Bell, I..." He pressed his lips softly on mine. I closed my eyes and kissed him back. I pulled back and whispered; "Happy birthday."

He smiled lovingly at me. "Thanks, Princess." We finished our breakfast in silence. I knew part of me should feel guilty, but in all honesty, that kiss felt right. After breakfast I crashed on the couch and turned Netflix on. I chose a random romantic comedy and just zoned out, not really noticing Bellamy sitting next to me, throwing my legs over his.

"Do you know what I don't get?" he suddenly asked, scaring the crap out of me. "What?" I asked. "Well, the guy obviously has feelings for the girl. Why doesn't she just go for it?" he asked, throwing me a side glance. I hesitated.

"Maybe the girl is scared the guy will realize what a huge mistake it is to be with her. Maybe she's not sure what the guy wants," I whispered. He looked me in the eyes. "Maybe the girl should try and give the guy a chance. She might be surprised," he whispered back.

"Bell, I can't.. we can't do this to Bree and Finn." He scowled at me. "I guess I know now why romantic comedies suck so much," he spat at me before leaving. I sighed and groaned, rubbing my hands over my face. Why did this have to be so complicated?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget kudos and comments, you don't need an account for that! Thanks! :)


	8. Crash and Burn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke is ready to make plans for Thanksgiving and Christmas when life takes a turn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See, I told you guys I'd make it up to you! This is one of the longest chapters until now, let me know what you think!

Chapter Eight: Crash and Burn

It was around Thanksgiving that I honestly started freaking out. My parents had asked me to choose: either spend Thanksgiving there or Christmas. I still had to decide and asked Octavia and Finn what their plans were.

"Well, we usually have a large Thanksgiving dinner with the friends and spend Christmas alone at Disney, just me and Bell," Octavia explained. Of course they did. I held back an eyeroll and turned to Finn, who had joined us at the lunch table. I asked him the same question. "I'm free for Thanksgiving but Christmas is off limits. My mother would flip, even if it was for my girlfriend," he said, kissing my hand after his last sentence.

Octavia rolled her eyes. I knew why. She told Lincoln she liked Finn, but not as my boyfriend. I overheard them while walking past her room. I didn't want to eavesdrop, so I kept walking, but I was very curious. Did Octavia know more about Bellamy and I than she let us believe? Was there even an 'us' in this? I shook the thought from my head. _Hello, Clarke, your boyfriend is sitting across the table. Not cool._

"So I guess I should call my mom and let me know I'm coming over for Christmas." Octavia smiled. "Good. I'm getting used to having you all to myself," she said. "Sorry to break your heart, but I do have to work tonight. You're flying solo until I return," I said with a grin. "I'll forgive you, but only because Lincoln is taking me out to dinner."

"Oh thank goodness, how would I have kept going?" I asked sarcastically, with a huge eye roll. Octavia punched me in the arm playfully. "Very funny. I have to get to class, see you guys later." Finn smiled at me when Octavia was gone. "So, beautiful, want me to swing by your work tonight?" he asked. I smiled back at him. "No that's okay, you'd just distract me. Remember last week?" He laughed. "How many cups did you break again?"

I glared at him. "Six and it's not funny. I don't need any more distractions at work," I stated. He fake-sighed. "Fine, I get the hint. Your work has a no-boyfriend zone from now on." I smirked. "Something like that. I have to go now, see you after class?" He nodded and gave me a soft kiss.

After school I hurried over to work. I didn't really look up and down the street. I felt the car before I ever saw it coming and everything went dark.

**Much later**

I started waking up. Everything was sore and my eyes just wouldn't open. There were people in the room, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. I gave up trying to open my eyes and instead tried to focus on listening.

"...no, you don't understand. She's still not awake, you have to do something," a raised voice said. Bellamy. He was here. But who was he talking to? "I understand, Bellamy. But as a doctor, I know why it's that much more important she wakes up on her own. She's had surgery and they're still not sure she doesn't have brain damage. If she wakes up on her own, we can exclude that and she won't have to have needless brain surgery." Mom. My mother was here.

But where's here? Surgery? What the hell happened to me? I felt a warm hand on mine. "Clarke, please, I need you to wake up," Bellamy sofly whispered. I heard footsteps as they left the room. Mom must have left to give him a moment. I felt something wet on my hand. Was he crying? "You can't leave me, baby. Please wake up."

"What are you doing here, Blake?" Finn's cold voice asked him. Bellamy let go of my hand and I heard a chair move. "She's my friend, Collins, and my roommate. Why wouldn't I be here? She got hit by a car," Bellamy said in a very cold voice. Hit by a car.. I started to remember now.

"Well, Octavia called Raven and she called me to tell me about what happened. I'm here now, you can go home," Finn said. I felt a warm hand on my other hand. And then warmth on Bellamy's side again. "I'm not going anywhere," Bellamy calmly said. "Dude, she's my girlfriend. What the hell are you doing?" Finn asked.

"She's my.. friend. She means a lot to me. You can't just ask me to leave because you think you have more right to her than I do." Finn snorted. "You're kidding, right? All you do is tease her and make her feel bad." "What did you say?"

"Guys! Both of you, get the hell out of here! She doesn't need this!" Octavia yelled, causing my ears to ring. I heard mumbled apologies and the sound of leaving footstepps. Octavia sighed and I heard her moving over to the bed. "Oh Clarke, how did you get into this boy mess? You can't just leave me alone like this. Lincoln.. Lincoln's talked about asking for my hand after college. I'm afraid Bell will kill him. I need someone to formulate a plan with. I need my best friend, Clarke. Please wake up," she sniffed, holding my hand.

I wanted to open my eyes. Show them I was awake. I really did. My body just wouldn't listen. I sighed mentally and gave up trying for today.

There were some more conversations in the room during the remainder of the day, but nothing really important. Until I suddenly heard my dad. "Abby, what did they say? Do they know when she'll wake up?" he asked mom. I heard her sigh. "I'm sorry honey, she has to wake up on her own. If we wake her up, it might make things worse," she replied.

I heard dad sigh and I heard the shuffling of a chair as he sat down next to my bed. He grabbed my hand and carefully stroked my face. "Hey baby, I hope you can hear me. You are going to be just fine, I promise. I can't wait to see your beautiful smile again. I can't wait to hear you tell us about school and your friends. I got you your Christmas present already, you'll love it. I hope you're back on your feet in time for that. You're a Griffin, Clarke. A fighter. Don't you dare give up," he said, kissing my forehead softly before leaving the room.

I dozed off until I felt a warm hand on my cheek. I still couldn't open my eyes, but I recognized that hand. "Hey Princess, I snuck in to see you. Oh, how you would have scolded me if you were awake. I just wanted to make sure you're alright and wish you a proper goodnight," Bellamy whispered. I felt his soft, warm lips on mine and I instantly wondered how long he had been doing this, sneaking into the hospital at night just to see me.

I woke up the next morning and, with a huge amount of effort, opened my eyes. Everything was still a little blurry and her eyes hurt, but it felt good to wake up. A nurse came in to check on me and let out a surprised yelp when she noticed I was awake. She quickly recovered and smiled at me before explaining she was going to get a doctor and something to drink for me.

I tried to sit up, but was pushed back by a soft hand. I looked up and saw my mother smiling at me. "Hey baby, how are you?" she asked after handing me a cup of water. "Like a truck ran me over. What happened?" "You were hit by a car, a drunk driver. You were lucky, Clarke. Very lucky. You escaped with a concussion, five broken ribs, a broken leg and a broken wrist. And a lot of bruises. Your body has kept you in a coma for two weeks now, honey. You gave us quite a fright."

"Was I.. Did I have surgery?" I asked. "Yes, you did. Your ribs.. they punctured your skin and they had to put them back in the right place before they could cause any internal bleeding. But you should be fine by Christmas. I've asked your friends to collect your homework and I called your professors. They wish you well and hope you recover soon," she added the last bit with a weak smile. "Thanks, mom," I whispered as I set back into the pillows. "I'm going to go get your father and your friends. One at a time, though. You just woke up."

She stood up and went to the hallway. The nurse came back to check all the equipment and to ask if I wanted something to eat. I said yes and she smiled and said it would be right up. When she left, my dad walked in with a smile. "Hey Clarkie, how are you holding up?" I smiled. "I'm fine dad, just a bit tired." "You've had all this time to sleep, I already told you, you lack sleep," he joked as he sat down in the chair next to the bed.

"Very funny. How are you and mom?" I asked. "We're good. I actually bought us tickets for Christmas to a cruise, just me and her for a month around the world," he said with a smile. "That's amazing, I'm jealous! So what am I getting? House chores for a month?" "Nice try and very funny, but no. Just because you're in the hospital, doesn't mean I'm going to tell you what you're getting for Christmas. You're not dying." I faked a cough and let out a dramatic sigh. "I just might, you know. Here I am, maybe dying, and my dad won't even tell me what I'm getting for Christmas."

My dad hollored a laugh. "You sound just fine to me. Your friends are waiting for you and it looks like your food's here. I don't want to hog you too much, I'll get some coffee in the cafeteria. See you later, honey," he said, kissing my forehead before leaving the room. The nurse brought me some yoghurt, fruit and tea. She said it would be good for my stomach and throat to eat something light and soft.

I dug in right when Bellamy walked in, snorting a laugh. "Enjoying your food, Princess?" he asked. I nodded, being too busy with my food to be bothered. He chuckled and held out a bar of chocolate. I gasped and happily took it. "My hero! Thank you!" He smiled and sat down. "You're welcome, Princess." He had a funny look on his face. "Okay, what?" I asked after two minutes of silence and that look.

" Bree and I broke up," he whispered, without looking at me. My jaw dropped. "Why?" "We just weren't right for eachother." "But.." "Please, Clarke, don't. I just wanted you to know, I don't want to talk about it." I let it go and finished my food. "So who else is out there? You don't want to 'hog my time', do you?" I joked. He smirked and looked at me. "Just O. Lincoln is going to stop by after his shift, O called Raven and Finn, but they were in class, so they'll be along soon," he replied. "Don't you and O have classes as well?"

He shook his head. "No, we had midterm finals, but we're done with them. Different education. We have a lot of field exams during the entire year to see how well we teach at our internships." That made sense. He grabbed my hand and pressed a soft kiss on it. "You had me worried there, Princess. Glad you're okay." I smiled at him. "I'm glad too."

I wasn't going to tell him what I heard yesterday. It was something I wanted to keep to myself if I could. "Can you send O in? I'm sure she's been worried too," I asked after a few minutes. "No need, I'll let myself in," Octavia said from the doorway. Bellamy quickly let go of my hand, but I think Octavia noticed. Bellamy got up and left after giving me a small smile.

Octavia hugged me softly. "You scared me shitless, Clarke. How are you feeling?" she asked after sitting down. "Getting better by the minute. Still don't feel like taking over the world any time soon." "That's alright, I told Igor to put the missiles away for now," she joked back and we laughed. "So, how are things between you and Lincoln?" I asked. She smiled broadly. "Good, really good. He still hasn't officially asked me as his girlfriend, which is kind of annoying. He was planning on asking Bell for permission at Thanksgiving, but we ended up cancelling it. It didn't feel right without you," she said.

I grabbed her hand. "You didn't have to do that, O." She snorted. "My best friend is in the hospital. You can't expect me to celebrate that unless it's your organ I'm recieving on my death bed." I laughed hard at that. "O, don't be crazy. When do you think he'll ask Bell?" "Probably at spring break. I hope you're still coming." "Wouldn't miss it for the world," I said with a big smile.

"So, did Bell tell you about Bree breaking up with him?" Octavia asked. "He just said they broke up, he didn't say who broke up with whom or why." Her eyes got big. "You mean he didn't tell you? She broke up with him because he spent all his free time here. He was so incredibly worried. If he didn't have school or his internship, he was here. I'm telling you, Clarke, you have some serious options here," she said. My jaw dropped.

"O, are you saying you're.. okay with Bell liking me?" "Well, I wished he would've picked someone other than my best friend, but he still hasn't admitted it. It's frustrating." I laughed. "So what now?" she asked. "What do you mean?" "Well, don't you like Bell?" "I.."

There was a soft knock on the door and Finn was in the doorway with a smile. "Hey beautiful, glad to see you're up," he said before walking over to the bed and giving me a kiss. Octavia got up and left without another word, but I was sure this conversation wasn't over. Finn sat down in the chair next to the bed and held my hand.

It was a constant stream of visits after that. Raven and Lincoln stopped by, just like Jasper, Maya and Monty had. Monty was actually excited about going on a date with a guy named Miller. He wouldn't spill more, said it was 'bad luck'.

The doctor said I was recovering fast and could be home by Christmas. Octavia had brought my laptop and homework and I finished my homework and exams just in time before Christmas break. I got cleared two days before Christmas and Bellamy had offered to drive me to the airport, since they were going to Disneyland anyway.

At the airport, Octavia hugged me as tight as she deemed safe before skipping away to get a few magazines, leaving me and Bellamy alone. Unintentional, I'm sure. "Want to get a coffee? My treat," Bellamy offered. I smiled and accepted. He slipped his warm hand in mine and we walked over to the Starbucks.

I ordered a Caramel Frappuccino (to which Bellamy declared me crazy since it was five degrees out) and he ordered a tall, black coffee. He paid and we sat together on a sofa. It was nice, just sitting like this. I felt a little bit guilty though, about sitting here with Bellamy instead of Finn. He was already with his family, he had to go early because his grandparents lived out in the middle of nowhere.

I glanced over at Bellamy. He looked completely content and was sipping his coffee without looking at me. When it was time to go, he hugged me goodbye and secretly gave me a small kiss when Octavia wasn't looking. I know I should stop it, but I was torn between Bellamy and Finn. Maybe Christmas break would give me some clarity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kuuuudoooos... coooommmeeenntsss (read in zombie voice. yes, i'm that hungry for them. share your thoughts and love!)


	9. New Year's Eve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New Year's Eve! Has Clarke made her choice? And how will the boys react?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm SO sorry this took so long! I've had the worst case of writer's block! So this is an extra long chapter! Let me know what you think and again, I'm so very sorry!

The day before New Year's I went back home. Octavia had begged me to at least celebrate New Year's with them. Finn cancelled, said he already had another party to go to back home. Which made me even more nervous, since that meant I was alone with Bellamy and I still didn't know if I could trust myself around him.

I had been thinking while at home, even talked about it with my parents. They said I should simply stay with whoever felt like home to me. If I was being very honest, it had been Bellamy since day one. But he had hurt me a lot of times and was constantly challenging me. Finn didn't do that. He didn't hurt me or challenged me. In other words, he was a bit boring.

But I couldn't bring myself to break his heart over a text message. I had to call him and be fair to him. After the holidays. Or maybe never. I'm a horrible person. But I wanted Bellamy in a way I could never want him, I knew that much. At least, I knew that much at the moment. With Bellamy, a surprise was never far away.

I had arrived at the airport and switched my phone on. Octavia hadn't replied to my text message. There was one from Lincoln, saying they couldn't make it and would arrange for someone else to come pick me up. I sighed. Great. I went to get my luggage and walked towards customs.

An hour later, I was walking towards the arrivals' hall and immediately spotted him. My heart sang. Bellamy was standing there with a shit-eating grin and flowers. "Hey, Princess." I ran towards him and threw myself in his arms. "Someone's happy to see me," he laughed. I smiled at him and kissed his cheek. I knew right then and there, I had made up my mind. But we had to talk first.

Bellamy smirked at me. "Had a good Christmas?" "Yeah, it was good. Yours?" "Always good, just my sister and me. But you're welcome to join us next year if you'd like." I smiled. "I'll think about it. In the meantime, can we talk somewhere?" "Sure, mind talking at home?" "I'm okay with that."

Bellamy grabbed my luggage after handing me the flowers and grabbed hold of my free hand. It felt right and yet I couldn't stop the little voice in the back of my head. _You're still with Finn and yet here you are, holding hands with Bellamy. You're a terrible person._ I sighed.

Bellamy threw me a sideways glance. "That bad, huh? What's going on in that head of yours?" I grinned at him. "Wouldn't you like to know?" He grinned back. "Nah, I'm good," he said while opening the door to his car for me. I got in and just leaned back and closed my eyes.

I woke up when we pulled up at the house. "Damn, did I fall asleep?" "You sure did. I could do pretty much anything to you and you remained quiet. Got creepy after a while, I'm not a Necrophiliac," Bellamy said casually. I punched his arm and he laughed. "Don't make jokes like that, you maniac." I winched, my ribs were still sensitive. Bellamy frowned.

"You sure you're okay there, Princess? Maybe you should party in a wheelchair." I glared at him. "Unless you want to end in one too, you might want to shut your pretty mouth there, Blake." He wiggled his eyebrows. "Think I'm pretty, Griffin? Tell me more." I rolled my eyes and got out of the car.

I saw someone standing on the front porch, looking at me like I was the devil incarnate. "Bell? I think Bree's here to see you," I said and looked at him to watch his reaction. He scowled. "Yeah, I guess. I'll go talk to her, please ignore her and make yourself at home. I'll bring your luggage in later." "No, I've got it. It'll give me something to do," I said and grabbed my bags.

Bellamy pressed a quick kiss to my hair and whispered: "Please ignore whatever she said. She's still sore over the breakup and blames you." I ignored the delicious shivers running down my spine and nodded. I sucked in a breath and walked as fast as I could, ignoring the dull pain in my leg as I did. It was still sore, even though it healed.

Bree snorted and crossed her arms when she saw me. "Well, would you look who it is? Back again, Clarke? Have fun at the hospital?" I glared at her. "Are you serious right now? I got hit by a car, you idiot. It wasn't exactly a pleasure trip." "Oh, I'll bet. I'm talking about you stealing my boyfriend. Tell me, how did Finn react to this piece of news?"

I frowned. "Excuse me?" Bellamy stepped in-between. "Bree, lay off. Clarke has nothing to do with our breakup, I already told you that. She's also not my girlfriend," he said, the last sentence a painful whisper. "Excuse me," I said and I walked into the house. I heard Bree starting to yell at Bellamy, but I shut it out. So this was how people saw the situation?

What would Finn think? I walked to my room and sat down on my bed before taking out my phone. I texted Finn.

**Hey you! What's going on with you? Haven't heard from you in a few days :) X**

He didn't text back. I sighed. He must be busy or sleeping, we both had a party tonight after all. I got up and started putting away my stuff. I unpacked the gifts I had for Bellamy and Octavia. They were the only presents I really hadn't want to send by mail. Suddenly, two arms wrapped around my waist and lips were pressed against my shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Clarke. I had no idea she was going to come over and confront me like that. I haven't talked to her since our breakup three months ago. Guess she was still pissed," Bellamy said. "It's okay, getting over someone is hard. I get it." He eyed the presents. "Who are those for?" I smiled at him. "They're for you and O. I mailed the other presents, but I wanted to give these myself." He grinned.

"Well, give it already. Now I'm curious." I gave him his present and we both sat down on my bed. He opened it and revealed a book. "No way, how did you get this?" "It happened to be in my dad's collection. I saw it and it reminded me of you. So I talked to my mom and she said you can have it."

It was a first edition book print of the original Iliad, one of Bellamy's favorites. He looked up at me with wet eyes. "This means so much to me, Princess. I don't know what to say." I smiled. "You're welcome."

He put the book down and hugged me tight. I melted into the embrace and didn't notice Octavia until she cleared her throat. We broke away and stared up into a shit-eating grin. "So, how are you today? Have a nice vacation?" "O, seriously, have you ever heard of privacy?" Bellamy asked, very annoyed. "Have you ever heard of a relationship? I thought Clarke was still in one," Octavia threw back. I froze.

Bellamy scowled and left the room with his book. He looked back once. "Thanks again, Clarke." He left and Octavia walked into my room, scratching the back of her head. "I'm sorry, that came out before I could think it over." "It's okay, O. Sit down, I have a present for you."

She clapped her hands enthusiastically and sat down next to me. "Gimme, gimme, gimme!" I gave it to her and she unwrapped it with the grace of a three-year-old. Her eyes got big. "No way, Clarkie! I can't believe you remembered!" I gave her a scrapbook from the first time we met ten years ago, with all our memories from camp and beyond. She told me once it was the best camp she'd ever been on, because she met me there.

She hugged me tight. "I'm going to cherish this. Thanks so much, Clarke. I love you!" "I love you too, O." Octavia let me go and got up to walk to the door. "I have to go now, we've got a party to prepare. Go get ready too, dinner's at five. Everyone will be here for a big barbecue."

"Oh right, the barbecue. And then a big countdown?" "Of course, better find a kissing partner before midnight," Octavia said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. I threw a pillow at her, making her laugh before she left.

I checked my phone. Still nothing from Finn. I sighed. What was I doing? I couldn't just act like I was single without even talking to my boyfriend first. I decided I would simply ask Monty to be my partner at midnight. I should be safe. Safer than with Bellamy, I'm sure.

**Later that day**

The barbecue was so much fun. Monty, his date Harper, Jasper, Maya and Lincoln were all there. Raven was away with a friend to Las Vegas and Finn was at another party so it was just the eight of us. I started drinking fairly early, Bellamy was making me nervous.

After the barbecue, I got cold and went inside to get a vest. When I came back out of my room, I ran into Bellamy. "Oops, sorry!" I said a bit slurred. Bellamy chuckled. "It's okay, Princess. Alcohol's a bitch." I glared at him.

"Like you haven't been drinking. Am I making you nervous, Blake?" I asked, moving closer and running a finger down his chest. The alcohol was making me overly brave. Bellamy swallowed thickly. "What are you doing, Clarke?" I looked up at him through my eyelashes.

"Isn't it obvious?" I ran my finger down his waist and thigh, very close to his crotch. "Clarke, don't," Bellamy said, removing my hand. I scowled. "Why the hell not? Is it because of Finn? Is he suddenly a reason not to? It's never stopped you before." Now it was Bellamy's turn to scowl. "No. I just want you to be less intoxicated when you make a move on me. I'd like to think that you honestly want me, without alcohol. Finn has nothing to do with it."

"So you don't have a problem being with a taken woman?" I asked. "I do. But when it comes to you, all my rules seem to fly out the window," he replied before walking away. I stood frozen in my tracks. I needed to sober up and fast or I might end up in the wrong bed tonight.

**Three minutes to midnight**

"Everyone come grab a glass of champagne and find your partner!" Octavia exclaimed, stepping outside with two bottles of champagne. I went to get a glass and felt a hand on the small of my back. I looked up and saw Bellamy. He nodded for me to follow him so I did.

"What do you want, Bell?" I asked. "I know what I said. But I still need a kissing partner. Please Clarke? On the cheek, I promise," he said. I rolled my eyes. "Fine." He glared over the top of my head. I looked behind me to see Octavia and Lincoln all cosy next to each other.

"Let them be, Bell." "I will. I just don't have to like it," Bellamy replied. I rolled my eyes and heard someone count down. "10..9..8..7..6..5..4..3..2..1.. HAPPY NEW YEAR!" I looked into Bellamy's eyes and he bent down. He searched my eyes and I gave the slightest nod. He grabbed hold of my face, smiled at me and kissed me. It was over way too fast for my liking, but of course, I was still with Finn so it shouldn't have happened anyway.

This was way too confusing. I was calling Finn first thing tomorrow. I was going to be honest with him. I think.


	10. Growing closer, falling apart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day after New Year's, emotions run high.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whaaaaat? Another chapter? I had the inspiration flowing *grin* 
> 
> Thoughts are much appreciated!

I woke up the next morning feeling incredibly guilty. I knew I made a decision but that didn't automatically make me single. I picked up my phone. A few text messages from friends and my parents, wishing me a happy new year. My mother asking me if I was still okay with them leaving for their cruise in May.

I texted her back and scrolled through my messages. Nothing from Finn. I frowned and dialed his number. Voicemail. What's this? He doesn't always charge his phone, I knew that. But this was just weird.

It occurred to me that I didn't have a single phone number from his family. I never even heard their names or met them. I really am a lousy girlfriend. I sighed deeply and rang again, deciding to leave a voicemail.

"Hey Finn, it's Clarke. I've been trying to reach you but maybe you're busy with something. We need to talk, can you call me back?" I hung up and put the phone away. I decided I needed a shower before breakfast.

Thirty minutes later, I walked into the kitchen to a very hungover Octavia. "Rough night, O?" I asked. She grunted and lifted her head. "Bell flipped out on Lincoln about the midnight kiss and chased him away on the lawn, screaming he was molesting his baby sister. Now they both refuse to talk to me."

"When did that happen?" "About ten minutes after you went to bed. I'm surprised they didn't wake you up." I made both of us a cup of coffee and handed her one as I sat down next to her.

"Thanks," she murmured. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you," I apologized. She waved it away. "Nah, it's fine. I don't blame you. Knowing Lincoln, he's calling within the hour to apologize to me and to ask for advice to make amends with Bell."

"I wish Finn would call or text or even pick up." "Still nothing? That's weird. Why would he be avoiding you?" I glared at her. "Who says it's personal?" Octavia grabbed her phone and opened Instagram. She scrolled down until she came across a picture of Raven from last night wearing a sparkly dress, covered in confetti. A well-timed picture.

"Well, because he did seem to have the time to post a comment. See the time stamp?" she said, handing me the phone. I stared at it. There it was, right in my face. The comment was posted an hour ago. 'Looking good, Ray!' I handed back the phone. "I don't understand. Why would he ignore me?"

"Want me to check? You might not like the result though, I don't know." "How are you gonna do that?" "I'm going to call him." I froze while she dialed. "It's ringing. Hey Finn, it's Octavia. I have someone here who really wants to talk to you," she said before handing me the phone and leaving the room.

"Finn?" "Hey Clarke, what's up?" "Well, you haven't been answering my texts or calls since yesterday and I was getting worried." "Shit, I'm sorry, I must have blocked the wrong number. I'm getting stalked by my ex." "Uhm well okay then, who's stalking you?"

"No one you know, don't worry. I should be back home tomorrow, are you free?" "Yeah I don't have work until school starts. What time do you want to meet up?" "Around noon, your place?" "Alright, see you tomorrow. Bye." I hung up. I needed some time to think. Finn was acting strange, something was up.

Bellamy came into the kitchen, yawning and stretching. "Good morning, Princess," he mumbled, tossing my hair as he walked by. "Could you not? I'm not a cat nor a toddler," I mumbled. "Aww come on, at least purr for me. In bed, maybe?" he said, whispering the last part in my ear.

My cheeks flushed a furious shade of red and I jumped off the stool. "Ass," I said before leaving the kitchen. "You started it," Bellamy exclaimed, laughing. I rolled my eyes and stalked to Octavia's room. I heard noises but didn't think much of it.

Knocking once before entering, I didn't look up. "Hey O, I have your..." I started but I froze in my tracks at the scene before me. Lincoln and Octavia, kissing, half naked, looking startled. I put the phone down on her cabinet. "I, uh, I'm sorry, I'm gonna.." I left, bumping into the door post while I was at it.

I ran to my room and shut the door. "Note to self, wait until you get a response," I mumbled to myself. I sat down on my bed and put my head in my hands. What the hell was Finn doing? Was he going to break up with me? Was he cheating on me? Red flashed before my eyes when it clicked. Raven. I got off, grabbed my coat and stormed out of my bedroom.

**Bellamy's P.O.V (Yeah you read that right)**

I chuckled when Clarke was out of the kitchen. She was way too easy to pick on. I sat down at the breakfast bar with a cup of coffee and began scrolling through Instagram. One post caught my eye. And one reaction below it. It was Raven's picture from New Year's. And Finn commented below it. Could mean nothing though. But.. did Clarke know?

I heard a few doors open and close and footsteps through the hallway. Probably nothing. Five minutes later, a door was slammed open and Clarke came stalking through the hallway, a furious look on her face. I'd pissed her off often enough and I hadn't even had the pleasure to see that look.

I quickly got up. "Whoa, kitten, calm down. Where are you going?" I asked her while stepping in front of her and meeting her eyes. They blazed furiously. "Get out of my way, Bellamy. I don't want to hurt you." I chuckled. "Are you serious? I'm easily half a foot taller than you. Now again, where are you going? Who are we going to kill?"

"Raven." Just one word before she stalked past me again. I grabbed her shoulder and nearly missed the punch she threw at my nose. I grabbed her in a tight hold and she struggled against me. "Let me go, I'm going to kill that little bitch," she said, trying to bite me. "Not a chance, Princess. Now calm down and tell me what happened. Sit down on the couch with me."

"Bell, I swear, I will hurt you beyond recognition." "Heard it all before, I have a little sister with the same attitude. Now sit down. I won't ask again and I have the option to lock you in your room." She huffed but complied and sat down on the couch with me.

"Now, explain this to me. Is this about Raven's picture on Instagram? I thought you didn't follow her," I asked. Bad question. Her nostrils flared. "Does everyone fucking know except for me? No, I don't follow the little whore. But yes, among other things, it's also about the picture. More about the comment below it from a certain person who's been ignoring my calls and texts since yesterday."

I frowned. "Now why would he do that? He threatened me in the hospital to back off. He seems like a very involved.. boy toy." She snorted. "He says he must have 'blocked the wrong number'," Clarke said, using air quotes. "He told me he's being stalked by an ex, won't tell me who it is. Now the weird part is, we've been dating since the end of summer vacation and suddenly, he blocks the 'wrong number'."

I huffed. "Yeah, sure. How did you even talk to him when he won't pick up?" "Octavia called him using her phone. He picked up and she handed the phone to me." "Where is she anyway?" I asked her, looking around. It couldn't be that O never heard that. "She's out, said something about meeting Lincoln."

I gritted my teeth. "Bell, c'mon, let them be. He's good to her," Clarke said. I sighed. "Yeah I know, I just don't like the sneaking around. Plus, he never asked my permission. I would've liked that." Clarke smiled sadly. "He wants to ask you during spring break. Just don't tell them I said that," she said.

I snorted. "Let's see about that later. But, Clarke, Princess, you can't just kill Raven because of a comment. They're friends. It could mean nothing. If you should kill anyone, it should be Finn." "I know. He's coming over to talk tomorrow. I'm very curious what he has to say."

I felt a flash of anger. "I'd rather not have him in my house anymore. But I'd like to hear what he has to say so I'll let that slide for now," I said. I saw a tear run down Clarke's cheek. I caught it with my fingertip and she looked up at me with teary eyes. "Clarke, I'm so sorry," I whispered.

"About what?" she whispered back. "You don't deserve this. You deserve so much more." I looked into her eyes and saw something flash. Hope? Love? I didn't dare say. Instead, I leaned forward and kissed the tear of her cheek. I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her tight. She let me and she cried. My heart broke for her.

I've never wanted to hurt someone so bad in my life. Finn better have a damn good explanation.


	11. Just let your heart decide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke and Bellamy have a heart-to-heart. The next day, Clarke has a talk with Finn. What will he say?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on a roll! Let me know your thoughts, pretty please! No login required!

That night, I was tossing and turning in bed. I couldn't get the entire Finn situation out of my head. It was haunting me, taunting me. A knock on the door. "Come in." The door opened to reveal Bellamy. "Can't sleep? I can hear your sighs on the other side of the door."

I sighed again. "Stop making so much noise," Bellamy mock-scolded me while entering my room and shutting the door behind him. He moved to the bed and lay down beside me, above the covers. "I forgot to ask you, why was Bree here?" I asked.

Bellamy sighed. "She says she's pregnant," he whispered. I shot up and gaped at him. "What? I thought you always used protection," I whispered. "I do. She claims it's mine. I didn't see a bump though and she didn't have an ultrasound either. She just said her parents are furious and want me to pay the doctor's bills." "I think she's lying."

He looked at me. "I think so too. I convinced her to take me to her next appointment and to take a paternity test. We broke up two months ago, if she was pregnant, she would have been showing at least a little. Then again, she's slender and she was wearing a large sweater. I don't know, Clarke. I can't deal with this. I've always wanted kids, but I haven't even finished college yet."

"I get it. When's her next appointment?" "She says it's tomorrow, one o'clock. I'm sorry I didn't tell you or O. I still haven't wrapped my own mind around it yet and I'm kind of hoping it's not true. I know how that sounds but I'm too young to become a dad. I have another year of college and after that, I was planning on seeing the world, maybe working abroad. There's a museum in Italy that teaches colleges. The theme changes every year, as to keep attracting students. I've been there once, I would love to work there."

I smiled at him. "Go big or go home, right?" He smiled back. "Right." He stared into my eyes until I cleared my throat. "I'm sorry I can't be there for you when Finn comes by tomorrow," he whispered. "I'm sorry I can't be there for you at the hospital tomorrow," I whispered back. He snorted. "Don't be too bothered about it. She kind of hates you so she would probably knock you back into the hospital."

"That's good to know, it's not like we attend the same college or anything," I said with a glare. He laughed. "Don't worry, it's a joke. She's not a violent person. She does hate you though. Not that you liked her very much." I felt my cheeks burning. "That's different," I murmured. He chuckled. "I bet, Princess."

He looked at me with pleading eyes. "Can I sleep here tonight? I'll sleep above the covers. I just.. I can't deal with this right now and I know you can't either," he said. I nodded. "Sure." I lay back down next to him on my back. He grabbed my hand above the covers and like that, we fell asleep.

**The next day**

By the time I woke up, Bellamy was gone. Probably better, Octavia would have a field day if she had found us together. I checked the clock. It was eleven o'clock. Finn would be here within the hour. I got up, took a quick shower, got dressed and went to the kitchen. I found Ellie there, cooking Octavia and Bellamy breakfast.

She smiled at me. "Good morning, Miss Clarke. Would you like some pancakes and fruit? With some coffee?" she asked. "That would be great, thank you." I sat down across from Octavia, who looked at me with a smirk.

I cocked an eyebrow at her. "What are you smirking about?" I asked. "Nooooothing. Except that I saw Bell exiting your room this morning," she replied with an even wider smirk. I burned up and Bellamy didn't look at me. His cheeks were a deep shade of red as well. "Yeah, so? He came to return a book he borrowed. Big deal," I said.

She tsk'ed at me. "Sure, whatever you want to tell yourself. So, what was the deal with Finn?" I explained everything and she whistled low. "Damn, that boy's a handful. You sure you still want to be with him?" she asked. I saw Bellamy looking at me from the corner of his eye, waiting for my answer.

"I don't know, O. But I do owe him a talk and a chance to explain himself." Octavia snorted. "You don't owe him shit for the way he treated you. But whatever makes you sleep at night-." "O, I have to leave today too, I have a meeting with someone," Bellamy said. Octavia turned her head to look at her brother with narrowed eyes.

"With who?" "None of your business," Bellamy said, standing up and bringing his dishes to the sink. Ellie put my breakfast down in front of me. "Thank you, Ellie." "You're welcome, Miss Clarke." "Well that was interesting. Do you know anything about this, Clarke?" Octavia asked me. I shook my head, stuffing my mouth with pancake.

She put her chin in her hands and stared off into space. I had only just finished my breakfast when the doorbell rang. Ellie went to answer it and I put my dishes in the sink. "I'll be in my room if you need me. Don't forget to knock three times," Octavia said with a wink, putting her dishes away as well. I rolled my eyes. "I'll be sure to remember."

Ellie came into the kitchen. "Mister Finn is here to see you, Miss Clarke. He's waiting in the living room for you. Shall I bring you both something to drink?" she asked. "Yes please, some lemonade will be just fine." I took a deep breath and went to the living room.

There he was, smiling wide at me. "Hey Clarke, come sit with me," he said, patting the space next to him on the couch. I sat a space away from that spot. He frowned, but didn't say anything. Ellie came in, put the tray down and left us to it. I poured us both a glass of lemonade, not looking at him or talking to him. I held onto my glass for courage and took another deep breath.

"So, you wanted to talk?" I asked. He smiled. "Well, yeah, I missed you, silly." I scowled and he continued. "So, this ex has been stalking me for about four months now. No matter what I tell her, she won't take no for an answer. It seemed to have started around the time we started dating. I accidentally blocked your number instead of hers and because she remained quiet during New Year's, I didn't realize until you called me," he explained.

I took a moment to digest his story. It still didn't add up. "It's been going on for four months, yet you never told me?" I asked. "Yeah, well, I didn't want to bother you with it. Especially with your accident and everything. It didn't seem right to put another burden on your shoulders." "Well, okay, I understand that. But who is she? You claim I don't know her, but this is a small town."

He smiled slyly. "Clarke, please, I don't want you to interfere with this. It's my problem, not yours. Please don't pay it too much attention, I don't either. But you wanted to talk about something too?"

I took a deep breath. I couldn't break his heart. "I do. I.. I think I'm having feelings for someone else. Beside you. And I'm torn between the two of you, if I'm honest." I looked at him. He frowned. "Between me and who? Bellamy?" he asked. "Maybe. Look, I know it's not fair of me to keep you as my boyfriend if I'm not sure who my heart belongs to. I'm sorry."

"You're.. you're breaking up with me?" Finn asked. "Don't think of it like that. It's your decision. I'm just telling you about my feelings." _Chicken. Coward. You should just let him go._ He sighed. "Well, I can't say I'm happy about this. But I understand. I don't want to let you go, however. I'm willing to wait until you know. If you still have stronger feelings for.. the other man, I will let you go."

I looked up at him. He smiled sadly at me. "Thank you for understanding, Finn," I whispered. I put my glass down and we hugged. We talked a little more and then he left. He gave me a hug and a kiss on my cheek. "I'll call you later," he whispered. I nodded and watched him walk to his car just as Bellamy's car pulled up.

I saw Finn glaring at the car and at Bellamy as he got out. "Collins," Bellamy said with a tight nod. "Blake." Bellamy walked up the steps and past me to the kitchen. I closed the door and followed him. He was pouring himself a shot of whiskey. He drank it and frowned at me.

"What is it, Clarke?" he asked. "How did it go?" I asked softly. "Well, she's pregnant. Ten weeks. We took a test and in four days, they're going to tell me if I'm becoming a dad or not. Until then, I'm not paying shit. But there was a baby on that screen, Clarke. And it might be mine."

"WHAT?!" Octavia came blazing into the kitchen. "O, calm down," Bellamy warned her. "Don't you dare tell me to calm down. Bree's pregnant? And you didn't even tell me?! You told Clarke but not me? No offense, Clarke," she spat at him. "None taken," I murmured. "O, please, I just came from the appointment. No need to bite my head off. Besides, I don't even know if it's mine."

"Well, when will you know?" "In four days. She agreed to a paternity test. Turns out she was cheating on me. But the other guy is broke. So she decided I would be a better potential dad. But I told her it doesn't work that way and it wouldn't be fair to anyone involved," Bellamy said.

"Well, I agree. If it's not yours, it's not your problem. End of story," Octavia said, crossing her arms. Bellamy smiled weakly. "Thanks, girls. It means more to me than I can express." "Someone needs to stand with your bony ass," Octavia murmured, causing Bellamy to toss her hair.

"By the way, Clarke, how did the talk with Finn go?" Bellamy asked. "Okay, I guess. He still won't tell me who his ex is. And I told him I have feelings for another guy. He didn't like it, but he refuses to give up until I decide." "In other words, you chickened out," Octavia scolded me. I buried my head in my hands, refusing to look at either of them.

"I know. I just couldn't. I'm torn between them and I don't know what to do," I murmured. Octavia wrapped her arms around me. "Calm down, Clarke, we're not going to kill you. Just let your heart decide."

Easier said than done.


	12. A Night Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drama at The Dropship

We decided we needed to blow off a little steam before returning to school in two days. We called the gang and decided to meet at The Dropship.

When we arrived, there were shots already lined up. Jasper grinned at us. "Finally! Sit down and grab a shot! Let's get this party started!" I sat down between Octavia and Bellamy. Octavia gave Lincoln a kiss on his cheek as welcome, hoping not to piss Bellamy off too much.

We downed the shot and Monty and Harper went to get another round of beer. I leaned backwards and sighed. "Penny for your thoughts?" Bellamy murmured. I smiled.

"I haven't felt this relaxed in days. The stress of the drama is killing me." "I hear ya." I looked at him. "You wanna dance?" He grinned. "Not nearly drunk enough for that, Princess." "Well, let's get drunk enough then, because I wanna dance," I said with a grin and I took a beer from Harper.

"Thanks, Harper. Next round's on me." She smiled at me. "You're very welcome, Clarke. And sure! Let me know if you need any help carrying it." I turned towards Bellamy and raised my glass. "To getting shitfaced and dancing the night away," I said. Bellamy grinned and toasted with me. "Here, here."

**An hour later**

Okay. I _may_ have been drinking just a tad too much. But it was all just too damn good. I looked over at Bellamy (more like rolled my neck over) to see he was just as shitfaced. And looking at me. "You know, you could have been much prettier if you didn't look so serious all the time," he mumbled.

I snorted very unladylike. "Oh really? Who says I want to look pretty for you?" He shoved me playfully and grinned. "C'mon Clarke, I'm serious. Have you never considered what we could have been like together? I think we'd make a good team." I sighed. "Yes, I've considered it and I agree. But what should I do with Finn then? I can't just go.. poof on him," I said, making a magic gesture when I said poof.

Bellamy snickered. "No, you can't do magic, you're not a unicorn. But seriously, who the hell cares about Collins? You _know_ he's cheating on you, sunshine. You just won't admit it to yourself. Or you have and you're just being chicken shit." I glared at him. "Don't you dare. He's an idiot but not one with a death wish." Bellamy looked at me amused.

"Because you would kill him if he turned out to be cheating?" "Well, yeah, duh," I slurred while pulling a face. "Well then, go get him. I'll cover for you," Bellamy said and he pointed to a dark corner I missed. I looked at it and felt the steam coming out of my ears. There he was, the scumbag. With Raven. Sitting awfully close together with smiles on their faces.

"Son of a bitch," I murmured and got up. Well, I tried anyway. I fell in Bellamy's lap and he held on fast. "Let me go, he's a dead man," I struggled against him. "Not going to happen. You can barely stand, go kill him another time. Besides, you're here to have a good time. Let's go dancing."

He hauled me up and pulled me towards the dance floor. "Cheap thrills" was on. "I love this song," I mused. Bellamy chuckled and pulled me close. "I know. Just follow my lead and try not to fall down, Princess." He pressed me close against him and we started dancing.

Although I could imagine what we looked like right now, I tried to ignore that and just dance. Halfway through the song, there was a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and looked right at Finn. Before he could say anything, I hauled over and threw up all over his shoes.

"What the hell, Clarke?!" Finn exclaimed, jumping backwards. "C'mon Clarke, let's get you home," Bellamy whispered in my ear. "Where do you think you're going with my girlfriend?" Finn yelled. "I'm taking her home. Go back to Raven and stay out of Clarke's life. You've done enough," Bellamy sneered back.

"We're here as friends, you idiot." "Looked overly friendly to me." "Oh, like your dancing you mean?" The room started spinning. "I wanna go home," I murmured. Bellamy lifted me up bridal style. "I've got you. Collins, I don't have time to play this game, I have to take Clarke home," Bellamy sneered and he walked out of the club.

The fresh air cleared my head up a bit. "Did you do that on purpose?" I asked. "Do what on purpose?" "Dance dirty with me?" He laughed a deep belly laugh at that. "Dance dirty with you? It was just dancing. I held you up so you wouldn't fall over." "You sure that's all it was?"

"Well, annoying Collins was a nice perk." "Yeah, about that.. Did you just break up with Finn?" "Yeah. Well, in the end it's your decision. But come on Clarke, he's an idiot. You were about to kill him and Raven and yet he takes her on a public date. That was not a 'just friends' date. They noticed us the second we came in. I know because I noticed them as well. Yet they remained hidden, seated and never acknowledged us until I took you dancing."

"He.. he was there with her.. the entire time? And you didn't say anything?" "You pack a mean punch, Princess. No matter how entertaining it would have been, I didn't want you thrown out of the club because of them."

Bellamy called for an Uber and set me down on a bench. "The driver should be here in ten minutes. Think you're okay for that long?" I giggled. "Unless I fall off the bench. Then I'll be in pain." He chuckled. "Yeah, let's not do that. Not a very good idea." He looked up and scowled.

"Speaking of bad ideas.. Finn, leave. Now," Bellamy said before walking away. I turned around on the bench and saw a very angry Finn walking towards him. "Leave my girlfriend alone, Blake. I'm taking her home." "Don't you have a date to take home?" "Like I told you, she's not my date."

They stopped when they were only ten inches apart. They stood there, glaring at each other. "You were there when we got there, hidden in a corner with Raven. You saw Clarke and the rest of us, yet you decided to remain hidden in your little corner with the girl you're cheating on Clarke with. I think it's safe to say that Clarke isn't your girlfriend anymore. Leave, Finn. Or I will make you leave," Bellamy said.

I rolled my eyes. "Has anyone considered asking me what _I_ want?" "No!" they both exclaimed without looking at me. "This isn't over, Blake. Clarke, I'll call you tomorrow, when you're sober," Finn said. "Nah, don't bother. Neither of you. I'm being torn between the two of you and all you want to do is tear each other apart. You didn't even ask what I want, both of you simply decided you know what's best for me. I'm breaking up with both of you. I don't need this right now," I said and I got up and walked towards the waiting Uber.

I gave him the address and never waited for Bellamy or Finn. I got home just fine, paid the driver and walked straight to the bedroom, where I crashed on my bed. My phone rang. I didn't even look, but I did pick up. "What word of "we're over" didn't you understand? Leave me the hell alone." "Clarke?" It was Octavia. "O... I'm so sorry. I went home, I got sick."

"Seems to me it's more than that. I'll be home in fifteen minutes, try to stay awake. Sleepover in your room tonight," Octavia said before hanging up. I groaned and got up to take a shower. I was still convinced there was vomit all over me. After the shower, I felt much better. There were three knocks on the door. "Come in, O."

Octavia was dressed in her PJ's. "What happened?" she asked. We sat down on my bed and I explained everything. She giggled. "Sounds like there was more testosterone than the room could handle. It'll work itself out. But Finn is completely over now?" she asked. "I think so, yes. But I don't want Bellamy right now, either. I'm done with both of them for now. Bunch of toddlers," I huffed. Octavia laughed. "Poor you, having two boys fighting over you."

I glared at her. "Just be glad you're sure about Lincoln. At least he'll fight for you. Without pummeling other people, I mean." She sighed happily. "Yeah. Sorry, not sorry." I chuckled. "You don't have to be sorry, I want you to be happy. Now, let's go get some sleep. I can't stay awake much longer."

We both lay down under the covers and I was asleep in minutes.

**The next day**

I awoke to the mother of all hangovers. I got up and went to the kitchen. Bellamy was already there. He looked up, smiled at me and shoved some aspirin, coffee, water and orange juice my way. "Hungover, Princess?" I shushed him with my hand. "Don't talk. Way too much noise. Thanks for the care package." I sat down and began drinking. "There's also an omelet on the way. Just a few minutes," Bellamy said and he turned back towards the stove.

He didn't have a shirt on. I only just noticed. I groaned. Bellamy looked at me. "What?" "You're not real. It's not fair if you're real," I mumbled. He chuckled. "Sorry Princess, what you see is all me." "Yeah. That's what's not fair." "Well, you broke up with me so I shouldn't even be showing you all this," he said, handing me my omelet.

"Oh shut up, you know why I did that," I murmured, diving into my food. "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry, Clarke. I overstepped my boundaries. But in all fairness, Finn was pissing me off," he said as he sat down next to me with his plate. I sighed. "I know." He kissed the side of my head. "Eat up, don't worry about it."

**Author's Note:**

> Please don't forget comments and/or kudos! I will update as often as I can!


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